Recently, US media reported that about half of Ford dealers in the United States have decided not to sell pure electric vehicles in 2024. Electric vehicle analyst Sawyer Merritt shared the news on social media, to which Elon Musk responded with a “!”
A year ago, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that he had obtained a commitment from two-thirds of dealers, saying that they would fully sell pure electric vehicles. According to data released at the time, approximately 1,920 (65%) Ford dealers planned to participate in the Ford “Model e” program. Joining the program means selling electric vehicles and investing at least $500,000 to install some equipment (including installing charging facilities) and train personnel. Judging from this, many dealers chose to retreat at the end of 2023.
“Ford F-150 Lightning”
Ford spokesman Marty Gunsberg said in an interview: “The penetration rate of electric vehicles varies across the United States, and we believe our dealers know their markets best. Ford dealers have completed their own local market assessments and will sell electric vehicles in 2024.” The car’s dealer base is just over 50% of the network, meaning 86% of the population has a Ford dealer selling and servicing a Ford electric vehicle within 20 miles.”
However, this is seen by the outside world as another sign of slowing demand for electric vehicles in the United States. It is reported that Ford has recently slowed down its electric vehicle plans, including reducing the size of the battery factory under construction, reducing expenditure on electric vehicles, and revising the production rhythm of electric vehicles in 2024.
