Ford is looking to expand its electric vehicle (EV) sales by involving more dealers and lowering the barrier of entry. Lisa Drake, Ford’s Vice President of EV programs and energy supply chain, stated that more dealers are interested in selling EVs, and the company wants to make its training more widespread to equip all dealers for selling EVs.
Based on Drake’s interview, Ford aims to broaden its EV sales to more dealers and has reportedly lifted restrictions on which dealers are allowed to sell its EVs. The company recently held meetings with dealers across the United States and toured nationally, conducting 11 meetings with about 1,000 dealers to discuss its EV certification program.
Ford’s previous EV certification program required dealers to invest between $500,000 and $1.2 million in training and EV chargers. This involved installing at least two high-powered DC fast chargers and a Level 2 charging station, with one DC fast charging stall open for public use.
However, this program has faced criticism from dealers, with some dealer associations arguing that Ford’s restrictions on EV sales were not legal, leading to a few lawsuits.