Ford tells dealers to PAUSE EV investments while it alters certification program

[RickLightning]

Ah, here we go again. The actual words:

"Ford recommends that dealers pause their action items and qualifiers related to the voluntary program until we complete our review and work with the Dealer Council in June."

Right. People keep posting misleading subject lines.

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[TaxmanHog]

This is the heads-up message I received just before the press articles started with the hyperbole

"Ford completed its Dealer Engagement Tour last week, hosting meetings across the country with more than 1000 of our Dealers. We’re now in the process of reviewing all collaborative engagement and turning it into immediate, mid-term and long-term changes where it makes sense for our customers, our Dealers and Ford.​

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For Dealers participating in the voluntary Model e EV Program, we have recommended that Dealers pause on their action items and qualifiers relating to the Program, including charger-related investments and installation, until we complete our work together with Dealer Council. The purpose of the review is to enhance customers' access to EVs by simplifying the process for our dealers to sell and service them.​

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Ford remains committed to EVs. We will continue to adapt to the market to benefit our customers, our dealers, and our business.​

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We will have more specific details to share in a few weeks."​

 

[GDN]

We don't really need a bunch more Level II chargers, but damn I wish they would invest in training their salespeople.

The real problem is that there is no need for salespeople these days. You likely already know you want an EV or you don't and the salespeople will never get up to speed, because that isn't on their agenda. Dealers treat sales people as minions sitting in a seat to deal with the customer so the highly paid back office guys don't have to.

Just set the price on the vehicle - let me buy it online.

Service is really no different. The SA is just there to keep me from going back to the shop to talk to the mechanic, but yet they also don't have a clue what is going on. They are there to sit on their phones and be online behind a computer screen when I walk in the door needing something.

 

[GDN]

I think they would have been more successful with a Maverick sized truck. That would sell more trucks worldwide than an American full sized truck.

Even this is Ford's problem. I don't follow the Maverick too closely, but I see quite a few on the road. If Ford would up production they would sell like hotcakes. However that doesn't bring the big profits, which is the only thing that drives them. So just wait and watch BYD get their truck approved here, then wait to see what Ford will do. Ford is no leader, they are a responder. Which again is why we have a Lightning with poor battery technology and a really poor SW update system. They reacted.

 

[The Weatherman]

Even this is Ford's problem. I don't follow the Maverick too closely, but I see quite a few on the road. If Ford would up production they would sell like hotcakes. However that doesn't bring the big profits, which is the only thing that drives them. So just wait and watch BYD get their truck approved here, then wait to see what Ford will do. Ford is no leader, they are a responder. Which again is why we have a Lightning with poor battery technology and a really poor SW update system. They reacted.

I owned two 2022 Mavericks and loved them. I would replace my Lightning in a heart beat with an all electric Maverick. That little truck fulfilled all my needs.

 

[Scorpio3d]

I wonder how much of this is in relation to the next gen platform their skunk works team is supposed to be working on?? I am sure they are looking at what GM is doing what Kia/Hyundai is doing what BYD is doing, etc. etc… We are the guinea pigs for a massive electric truck, things will improve as we go forward (hopefully with our existing vehicles as well ).When they get solid state battery technology to work for their(our) needs that will be the game changer… going forward there will be some better technology and better use of current technology IMO! If they are going to switch to NACS, why would you put in a bunch of other stuff now? Maybe they should just focus on getting our adapters out!!!

 

[Ventorum94]

So, when gas prices inevitably sky rocket again one day, are they just gonna about-face one more time?

Demand for EVs has been exponentially related to the price of gasoline, since before Lightning launch, and has much less to do with climate concerns. Watch what happens when gas goes north of $5.

 

[Ventorum94]

I would disagree. We need chargers period. DCFC would be helpful, but may not be needed in each town. In towns with none or only a single station, yes FMC should pay the dealer to place one. But at the end of the day a minimum of two public accessed only EVSEs is the least they should ask for.

The cost of two public accessed 40-48 amp level two chargers is negligible to the overall cost of doing business. By having those chargers in rural America, in the land of DCFC desert, helps prevent the “I ran out of power” and photos of a “Ford Lightning towed for running out of energy”.

By having standards it also helps ensure the EVs leave with a “full tank” like dealer did with gas versions. That was one of my frustrations with my Lightning as they kept the battery around 40% and only had a split EVSE so while I was doing the paperwork I got a dismissal 3kw of energy going to my new truck, requiring me to deep charge first thing when I got home. If they would have had a 48 amp EVSE I would have at least moved the needle a little before having to drive away.

I’ll switch back to ICE before I’ll sit for hours at a Level 2 charger on a road trip. Between Tesla Supercharger access and EA, etc., aren’t there relatively few places we can’t drive and DCFC?

 

[Grease Lightning]

aren’t there relatively few places we can’t drive and DCFC?

I appreciate your personal opinion, but I suggest you educate yourself on the lack of DCFC areas around the nation. It is easy by using PlugShare.

There are many places in rural America off of an interstate that does not have DCFC within a reliable range of the Lightning, especially if towing. Then there is an even larger area that has coverage but are rated at only 50-70 kW rated.

While I understand your lack of desire to sit and wait at a 48 amp level 2, there are a significant areas of Oregon that is only served by an old network of 50kW DCFC. So there is little difference in usability between a high amp level 2 and a low rated DCFC. And as my original post stated, it is easier and cheaper to install and serves the same purpose, lack of negative publicity of being stranded. I would rather sit and wait at a Ford dealer for two hours to drive 50 miles to a DCFC than wait for a tow truck.

As to your Tesla comment, almost all of us are still waiting on our adapters, with what appear to be no shipments in May. Then we are continuing to see some reports of those with adapters seeing some v3 SC locations that are not working for non-Teslas. Until 🫏 Musk gets his head out of his 🫏 and fixes this botched rollout, I would not be willing to solely rely on SC in an area that did not otherwise have CCS DCFC as a backup.

 

[Ventorum94]

I appreciate your personal opinion, but I suggest you educate yourself on the lack of DCFC areas around the nation. It is easy by using PlugShare.

There are many places in rural America off of an interstate that does not have DCFC within a reliable range of the Lightning, especially if towing. Then there is an even larger area that has coverage but are rated at only 50-70 kW rated.

While I understand your lack of desire to sit and wait at a 48 amp level 2, there are a significant areas of Oregon that is only served by an old network of 50kW DCFC. So there is little difference in usability between a high amp level 2 and a low rated DCFC. And as my original post stated, it is easier and cheaper to install and serves the same purpose, lack of negative publicity of being stranded. I would rather sit and wait at a Ford dealer for two hours to drive 50 miles to a DCFC than wait for a tow truck.

As to your Tesla comment, almost all of us are still waiting on our adapters, with what appear to be no shipments in May. Then we are continuing to see some reports of those with adapters seeing some v3 SC locations that are not working for non-Teslas. Until 🫏 Musk gets his head out of his 🫏 and fixes this botched rollout, I would not be willing to solely rely on SC in an area that did not otherwise have CCS DCFC as a backup.

Well, being unwilling to wait for the Tesla-built adapter, I acquired an A2Z (which is probably a superior design anyway, by early reviews), and it works flawlessly. We have two Teslas in addition to the Lightning, and it feels like the Lightning has finally joined the club. Suddenly, route planning has as many possibilities for my Lightning as it has for my Teslas (granted, there are some places I might wish to wander, that I would not even take a Tesla, for lack of DCFC- and I’d never plan a route requiring <150kW daytime charging). Fordpass, Plugshare, and ABRP all accurately indicate which Supercharger locations are accessible (I was surprised to find that a couple of SChgr locations I’m aware of are not accessible, being Gen2, but the route planning apps filter those out). And on a recent 900mi trip, using both EA and Tesla, I was surprised to find that I paid less at Tesla (using Fordpass plug and charge) than at EA. Access to Superchargers has been a game-changer for Lightning road tripping.

 

[Nomoregas]

Tesla definitely could have made it easier on themselves. Enlarge the platform of an exisiting line, throw a truck bed on it, double the batteries for range (a la GM). Instead they decided on a radical product that they could have worked up to later on.






Smaller may or may not have worked, but the reason I couldn't go with Rivian is that it was much smaller than the F150. That and I placed some trust in that there's Ford dealerships in most places I travel to that can hopefully help in case of trouble as when my LER landed in a shop in Indiana for a month.

IMO, over the long haul Rivian would have done better with a 1/2 ton.

The Tesla board should have made Elon drive a 1/2 ton pickup for a year before designing his first truck, I just want a normal truck to drive and work, my lightning is that but at 74,000 km I am facing serious questions, hold past 100km warranty on motors or deal it and get what?

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