After Ford’s National Dealer Conference in September, all dealers (nearly 3,000 in total) can voluntarily join the company’s new Model e program.
Ford CEO Jim Farley announced in an interview at the Automotive News World Congress on Monday that two-thirds of all dealerships have joined the Model e program between 2024 and 2026.
He sees this as the biggest opportunity for growth and value creation since Henry Ford started mass-producing the Model T, and he’s trying to grab it with both hands.
Ford expanded its growth strategy in March this year, creating three different business units: Model e, Ford Blue and Ford Pro.
Model e: Accelerate breakthroughs in large-scale innovation of electric vehicles.
Ford Blue: Will expand the company’s ICE vehicle portfolio, using cash flow to expand its EV division.
Ford Pro: Business and software solutions for the company.
Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford (Bill Ford) explained: “This is not the first time Ford has re-imagined the way of the future, but they have to go out of their own way.” In order to compete with Tesla, the current leader in the new energy vehicle industry, Ford has realized it needs to simplify the customer experience.
It is worth mentioning that Tesla’s biggest advantage over these traditional car companies is that it sells cars directly to consumers, thus eliminating the cost of middlemen, but Ford said: “We bet on the dealers. We didn’t Going to go straight down that route. But we need to become professional.”
Farley said the company needs to reduce costs, improve profitability and provide the best possible customer experience to stand out from the rest of the competition.
Under the program, Ford dealers can choose one of two levels to obtain the “EV certified” certification level, but a minimum initial investment of 500,000 is required to obtain:
repair and maintenance
A common DC fast charger
And those who choose to invest $1 million to $1.2 million get a “certified elite” certification level, which includes two public DC fast chargers, and provides them with a show car, fast replenishment, and will be displayed on Ford.com superior.
Farley said Monday that 1,920 Ford dealers are now enrolled in the voluntary Model e program from 2024 to 2026. Of these, 1,659 chose the Certified Elite level, while another 261 chose “EV certified.”
If they choose not to participate, dealers have another option in 2025, Ford said, and then they can start selling electric vehicles in 2027 if they choose.
