Ford dealers are slowing their embrace of electric vehicles.
The Detroit Free Press reported that about half of all Ford dealers in the United States will sell the company's EVs in 2024 — but the other half won't, which is a significant decrease from the two-thirds of dealers that were reportedly EV-friendly in 2023.
"EV adoption rates vary across the country and we believe our dealers know their market best," Ford spokesperson Marty Gunsberg told the Free Press. "As Ford dealers have completed their own local market assessments, enrollments for 2024 are just over 50% of the network, placing 86% of the population within 20 miles of a Ford dealership that can sell and service a Ford EV."
Last year, Ford confirmed with the news outlet that 1,920 dealers would participate in the Model e Program for the 2024-26 window. However, Gunsberg recently acknowledged that some dealers withdrew from that program. Per the Free Press, 1,550 Ford dealers will not sell fully electric vehicles in 2024 and will stick to hybrids or traditional gas-guzzling models instead.
Ford dealers will soon begin to clearly advertise whether they are Model e Certified, which should make it easier for customers looking to buy an EV to understand which dealers carry them.
Electrek speculated that part of the reason for slowed EV adoption comes from Ford's initial requirements that dealers invest substantial money in adding EV charging stations and infrastructure, which some dealers may have deemed too steep a cost.
However, Ford says it is the second-highest-selling EV brand in the U.S. after Tesla. Ford will expand its EV lineup in the near future, and the dealer program will give more dealers opportunities to opt in to EV sales in 2027, Electrek reported.
Ford has made significant breakthroughs in the EV market in the past few years. It's planning a massive electric battery overhaul, teasing a new electric SUV, and selling an all-electric Mustang.
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