Only around half of Ford dealers have opted to offer electric vehicles in their lineup in 2024, as EV adoption enthusiasm wanes.
Just over half of all Ford dealers have opted to sell electric vehicles (EV) in 2024, down from roughly two-thirds that expressed willingness to do so around the same time last year, which comes as EV enthusiasm appears to be cooling.
Around 1,550 Ford dealers, or just over 50 percent of the brand’s entire dealership network, have opted to sell EVs in 2024, Ford spokesman Martin Gunsberg told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
About a year ago, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that two-thirds of Ford dealers were committed to selling EVs, according to Detroit Free Press, which reported that 1,920 dealers had pledged to go all-in on Ford’s voluntary EV program.
“EV adoption rates vary across the country,” Mr. Gunsberg told The Epoch Times. “As dealers have completed their own due diligence in their local markets, dealer enrollments for 2024 entry have stabilized at just over 50 percent of the network (around 1,550 dealers).”
Mr. Gunsberg added that this enrollment level puts 86 percent of the population within 20 miles of a Ford dealership capable of selling and servicing an EV manufactured by Ford.
The other half of Ford’s approximately 3,000 dealers are sticking with internal combustion engines and hybrids.
“When it comes to Ford’s voluntary EV Program, Ford Dealers have a choice of two enrollment levels and two enrollment entry points (2024 and 2027). If a dealer chooses not to participate in the EV Program, they can continue to sell ICE and hybrid vehicles,” Mr. Gunsberg explained.
The latest data suggests waning enthusiasm among dealers to carry EVs. Part of the reason could be that Ford has required dealers who want to offer Ford EVs to make large investments, including in DC fast chargers that allow each sales lot to double as a charging station for owners. Another factor could be a slowdown in EV sales after an initial wave of adoption enthusiasm amid a lack of charging infrastructure, reliability issues, and persistent concern about “range anxiety,” which is the fear that an EV will run out of power and leave drivers stranded with no chargers around for miles and miles.
By Tom Ozimek
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