Ford's Half Dealer In The US Refuses To Sell Ford Electric Cars In 2024, Why?

The sluggish sales of F-150 Lightning in the US market. (Doc. Ford)

JAKARTA - Shocking news comes from Ford towards the end of this year, where only half of their dealers in the United States are ready to sell electric cars (EVs) by 2024. This means that around 1,550 of the total 3,100 dealers choose to be absent from selling from the Mustang Mach-E line and friends.

This decision contrasts with Buick, which is a division of General Motors which actually gives ultimatums "sell EVs or close". As a result, nearly half Buick dealers chose an early "retire". However, Ford took a different approach. They let dealers self-assess market eligibility and invest in EV infrastructure as needed.

"The EV adoption rate is different across the country, and we believe dealers understand their best market," said Marty Gunsberg, Ford spokesman, quoted by Carbuzz, December 26.

He also ensured that despite half of the dealers being absent, 86% of the US population remained within 32 kilometers of Ford EV dealers.

Even so, concerns remain sticking out. California and other "green" states are predicted to still dominate Ford EV sales, while states like Dakota may still be less enthusiastic. In addition, the relatively expensive EV prices as well as sluggish sales of F-150 Lightning have recently made dealers wary of large investments in infrastructure such as fast DC chargers and staff training.

A real impact can be seen on the production of the F-150 Lightning. As a result of unexpected sales, Ford has announced a half-production cuts to 1,600 units per week starting January 2024.

The survey also shows that nearly half of dealers are worried that the EV strategy and the new sales model will actually reduce their profitability.