Ford CEO Jim Farley said nearly 2,000 of the 3,000 have agreed to sign up for the company’s EV certification program. This includes investments in charging and sales programs with no cost increases. It also involves investing heavily in public fast chargers, employee training, and sales programs without coaxing.
Most dealers – about 1,650 – chose the Certified Elite program, which requires an investment of up to $1.2 million. Another 261 dealers chose the more diminutive “Certified” status, which involves an investment of up to $500,000.
What happens to those dealers who didn’t opt in?
Ford reported this as well. Dealers who haven’t agreed to the company’s EV certification program will only sell gasoline and hybrid vehicles. This could leave them far behind as the automaker plans for a big EV rollout in the coming years.
However, Ford dealers in Illinois have filed a complaint against the automaker with the state’s Motor Vehicle Control Board. Similarly, dealers in New York also filed a lawsuit against Ford, accusing the company of violating its franchise agreements.
This is because many dealers don’t want to learn the intricacies of EV operation or invest in costly on-site charging. Likewise, most dealers realize that their service and website may not reach other companies’ more personalized buying terms and services.
