Ford Lightning Excluded From a Big Loyalty Discount

[StephanWolf]

Ford Lightning Excluded From a Big Loyalty Discount

Ford Lightning Excluded From A Big Loyalty Discount

F-150 Lightning buyers won't be eligible for some of Ford's best deals. According to a bulletin sent to dealers, the brand's first electric pickup doesn't qualify for as much as a $2,500 loyalty discount for existing customers. That could put EV buyers at a big disadvantage compared to the company's gas-powered vehicles.

The deal in question involves a direct mail offer targeting current Ford lessees with a loyalty discount worth anywhere from $500 to $2,500. The so-called RCL Renewal offer is an ongoing deal for "Red Carpet Lease" customers good toward the lease of just about any brand-new Ford. However, there are exceptions.

A closer look finds that the deal excludes all F-150 Lightning trucks. As a result, current Ford lessees hoping to score a discount for staying loyal may end up being disappointed. Having said that, this may not be surprising since the program also excludes specialty models like the Bronco, Mach-E, F-150 Raptor, and more.

Unlike the regular F-150, incentives for the all-new Ford Lightning are already shaping up to be quite different. We already know the F-150 Lightning will take a page from Ford's Mach-E playbook by offering a lease-like balloon financing program called Ford Options Plan. We also see signs of a major drawback for lessees.

As we reported earlier this week, 2022 Mach-E leases don't pass along $7,500 tax credit to customers. If that proves to be the case with the Lightning, leasing one could end up being a lousy option. EVs do tend to qualify for state plug-in rebates, but there clearly seem to be some potential trade-offs with the Ford Lightning.

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[Snakebitten]

Ummmm, do they (author of article) realize that if you received a flyer in the mail today from Ford offering you ANY discount, you wouldn't or couldn't apply it to purchasing a vehicle that you can't purchase now anyway?

Dang, I can't believe Ford excluded the Lightning I was going to buy next month. Ford sucks. ??

 

[greenne]

Anyone surprised? I mean seriously...

 

[WRS]

They previously have not included low production, high demand vehicles in POC or even x plan. Raptor, Shelby, Mach-E, etc. why would they discount a vehicle with high demand?

 

[F150ROD]

That’s alright $7500 is more than enough plus all your State rebates….

 

[techguydave]

In other news, water is wet.

Seriously, if anyone is surprised and disappointed by this, I have a bridge to sell them...

 

[lancersrock]

All about them clicks though! And I'm sure Ford haters will flock to it and make a big deal out of it.

 

[Pedaldude]

I am surprised that any vehicle qualifies for any discount these days.

Dealerships are even having trouble stocking Escape crossovers. That's how crazy things are.

Expect Ford to exclude Lightning from the AXZ plans eventually too, they said Bronco would be eligible in the beginning, but as soon as they realized that they couldn't deliver, they excluded it.

 

[Pioneer74]

I am surprised that any vehicle qualifies for any discount these days.

Dealerships are even having trouble stocking Escape crossovers. That's how crazy things are.

Expect Ford to exclude Lightning from the AXZ plans eventually too, they said Bronco would be eligible in the beginning, but as soon as they realized that they couldn't deliver, they excluded it.

Who told you that Bronco was excluded from A/Z plans?

 

[Fordskeptic]

That's outrageous of Ford! There, I said it......someone has to be. Now onto our regularly scheduled program.

 

[techguydave]

I am surprised that any vehicle qualifies for any discount these days.

Dealerships are even having trouble stocking Escape crossovers. That's how crazy things are.

My local dealership's lot looks like a Wal-mart at 3am, and many of the vehicles on the lot are accounted for already. They're offering a few MME owners a discount to keep some test drive vehicles available for a few thousand miles since the dealership can't even order one.

 

[shutterbug]

Who told you that Bronco was excluded from A/Z plans?

I'm pretty sure that 2021 Bronco is excluded from X plan. Which is the one most of us can be eligible for.
https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/pdf/IneligibleProducts.pdf

Bronco 2DR/4DR all body styles are ineligible for X-Plan & X-Plan Partner ​

A and Z plans are for Ford employees and retirees. Most of us are neither.

 

[Vulnox]

I'm pretty sure that 2021 Bronco is excluded from X plan. Which is the one most of us can be eligible for.
https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/pdf/IneligibleProducts.pdf

Bronco 2DR/4DR all body styles are ineligible for X-Plan & X-Plan Partner ​

A and Z plans are for Ford employees and retirees. Most of us are neither.

That's all true, but he quoted someone saying AXZ were excluded, and said A/Z plan aren't excluded. He didn't mention X-Plan at all, so not sure why you are arguing that X-Plan is excluded when he didn't say anything about X-Plan.

 

[Pedaldude]

Who told you that Bronco was excluded from A/Z plans?

Nobody, however Ford said that there wouldn't be any AXZ exclusions for Bronco. So I wouldn't be surprised in the future if Ford opted to exclude Lightning too, Whether all plans are excluded, just X plan, or none at all remains to be seen. Let's hope they take the opposite approach to the Lightning that they did with Bronco and that they are able to deliver.

The Bronco 2021 production numbers are pathetic compared with both the competition (Wrangler and 4Runner) and Ford's own Bronco Sport (the Bronco that nobody asked for). So pathetic, that only around eight reservation holders out of a hundred have had their vehicles delivered and if you take anecdotal accounts on Internet forums as true, at least one of those reservation holders has had their Bronco sold out from under them, either because they refused an ADM, or through other means.

 

[metroshot]

That’s alright $7500 is more than enough plus all your State rebates….

Agreed - since I am a first time Ford customer, the RCL incentive is not an issue.

I'll be doing the Ford Options financing to get the best of both lease & finance.

Hopefully I can qualify for the $7500 tax credit, $4500 state rebates, and the coveted HOV carpool sticker!

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