Ford is telling dealers to hold off on any more EV related investments...

[phil]

Right. A car dealership is about the last place I want to stop and change my car.

Great Freudian slip there!

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[Pibbman]

I disagree with the comments about the fast charger installation requirements. We are finally starting to get decent coverage of fast chargers in the state partly thanks to Ford.

when I first got mine back in 21, we had like 3 non-Tesla fast chargers in Wisconsin. Now we have about 50+. We have 3 nearby now (the first and closest ones by like 70 miles) and all of them are ford dealerships. A lot of the more rural areas have some now that are only there because of Ford as well.

I agree that Ford may be a bit aggressive but it is clear they understood they were at the risk of pissing off drivers who would have to search around for ford dealers who could fix EVs because if they hadn’t I could easily have seen a bunch just saying they don’t fix them and leaving owners to fend for themselves

 

[Mach1E]

I disagree with the comments about the fast charger installation requirements. We are finally starting to get decent coverage of fast chargers in the state partly thanks to Ford.

when I first got mine back in 21, we had like 3 non-Tesla fast chargers in Wisconsin. Now we have about 50+. We have 3 nearby now (the first and closest ones by like 70 miles) and all of them are ford dealerships. A lot of the more rural areas have some now that are only there because of Ford as well.

I agree that Ford may be a bit aggressive but it is clear they understood they were at the risk of pissing off drivers who would have to search around for ford dealers who could fix EVs because if they hadn’t I could easily have seen a bunch just saying they don’t fix them and leaving owners to fend for themselves

Do you honestly think that a single fast charger at each Ford dealership will make a difference for a road trip?

The dealership would have to be open and the charger would have to be available. More likely the dealer would be using the charger for their own cars or customer cars most of the time. I also wouldn’t expect it to be a fast L3, more likely whatever the minimum speed is.

Especially if it was free.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

Great Freudian slip there!

I really need to wait until after I have coffee to post in the forums.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Do you honestly think that a single fast charger at each Ford dealership will make a difference for a road trip?

The dealership would have to be open and the charger would have to be available. More likely the dealer would be using the charger for their own cars or customer cars most of the time. I also wouldn’t expect it to be a fast L3, more likely whatever the minimum speed is.

Yes. Ford had set requirements and hours that the chargers would be publicly accessible (something like 7AM-9PM except Sunday) and minimum speed requirements of 300A/120kW to ensure the chargers would be useful and appreciated by the traveling public. In rural areas they might be the only DC charger for 100 miles, so they might make the difference of wherever or not you can do a trip in some cases. They would be paid, not free.

 

[Silvernort]

Do you honestly think that a single fast charger at each Ford dealership will make a difference for a road trip?

The dealership would have to be open and the charger would have to be available. More likely the dealer would be using the charger for their own cars or customer cars most of the time. I also wouldn’t expect it to be a fast L3, more likely whatever the minimum speed is.

Especially if it was free.

Well, yeah it would make a difference. You only need one (working) charger to get you on your way. I almost got stuck without electrons when the EA DCFC that was listed in Beaver Dam didn't work. Fortunately the EA tech I was working with on the prob found that the local Ford dealership had a new Blink install, 2 actually. I headed over there and it saved my day.
The dealer does not have to be open for these to be available nor do they have to be free. One just needs to be able to travel without getting stranded, IMHO.
That said, it has to be a business decision on the part of the dealership and it behooves Ford to help with a pathway to make DCFC installations at least a bit profitable, or the whole concept would not be sustainable.

 

[Electric Goat]

Do you honestly think that a single fast charger at each Ford dealership will make a difference for a road trip?

The dealership would have to be open and the charger would have to be available. More likely the dealer would be using the charger for their own cars or customer cars most of the time. I also wouldn’t expect it to be a fast L3, more likely whatever the minimum speed is.

Especially if it was free.

Yes definitely. I have family in rural Wisconsin and traveling to them in my Mach-E is now possible thanks to Ford

 

[AlpaChino]

I've loved my MME, my first new car purchase. This news has made it clear, I'm afraid it will be the last Ford EV I buy. It's kind of heartbreaking, I really wanted to see where Ford was going with Model E, but I can see I'm more invested in it than their dealer network.

I imagine I'll go to Hyundai/Kia/Rivian where they are taking their investments in EVs seriously.

 

[zvez]

We tested the Escape plug-in hybrid as a possible replacement for the wife's Ford Edge and it was a disappointment--it was loud and we just didn't like the driving experience. I didn't even consider looking at the Prius. My cousin works for Honda Japan and they view Toyota as their mortal enemy. I didn't want to disappoint him by buying a Toyota. Ha. I do like the looks of the new Prius though. A friend has one from 15 yrs ago and still going strong, they love it.

we had a gen 1 and gen 2 prius for years, great cars.

 

[Billyk24]

I disagree with the comments about the fast charger installation requirements. We are finally starting to get decent coverage of fast chargers in the state partly thanks to Ford.

when I first got mine back in 21, we had like 3 non-Tesla fast chargers in Wisconsin. Now we have about 50+. We have 3 nearby now (the first and closest ones by like 70 miles) and all of them are ford dealerships. A lot of the more rural areas have some now that are only there because of Ford as well.

I agree that Ford may be a bit aggressive but it is clear they understood they were at the risk of pissing off drivers who would have to search around for ford dealers who could fix EVs because if they hadn’t I could easily have seen a bunch just saying they don’t fix them and leaving owners to fend for themselves

Northwestern Wisconsin is lacking in dcfc. Single 50 kW charger in Clam Lake and another at Tregilo isnt good. Yes Ashland had a GM dealer open a 50kW dcfc along with the the Bayfield County Court House location for those traveling along Lake Superior.

 

[Jeff-NoVA]

This article is clickbait, but I do hope that Ford doesn't overcorrect in adjusting its EV plans to meet the market. They need more plug-in hybrids, and they were foolish to exit the car market altogether. Ford really needs to get this right. The Fusion was a good vehicle. I was sad to see it go.

 

[Blue highway]

The Facts:

Average(not just Ford)dealers make 40-50% of their annual operations profits with Service/parts sales.

EVs do not require a great deal of maintenance services, in general.

Any new business investment requires a short, medium, and longterm plan for generating ‘replacement’ profit.

EV mfgs. required significant franchise dealership upfront investment, with a promise for longterm gains(profits).

In a competitive EV market(can you say, “Tesla lowering prices often and a lot”), makes it extremely difficult to profit selling EVs…and make no mistake, every mfg. is struggling, including Tesla.

There is a very good reason the Biden Administration just levied a significant increase on Chinese-made EVs and associated batteries(100% tariff on Chinese EVs, and 25% tariff on Chinese EV batteries).

EV Training for sometimes, transient dealership sales and service personnel, may be seen by many dealers as a mfg. ‘cost’, not a dealership financial responsibility.

Just sayin…

yes and... without those tariffs there would be no US auto industry in a few years. I've spent some time in China this spring, and the Chinese EVs are really good.

however, continuing to focus on trucks for profitability is going to lead to another 1970's crash for US car makers within a decade. The rest of the world (Europe and Asia) will be in their third or fourth gen EVs by the time Ford and GM get their next gen to market.

I feel sorry for the dealers but the service driven business model that depends on ICE maintenance can not be sustained.

 

[Mach1E]

Yes. Ford had set requirements and hours that the chargers would be publicly accessible (something like 7AM-9PM except Sunday) and minimum speed requirements of 300A/120kW to ensure the chargers would be useful and appreciated by the traveling public. In rural areas they might be the only DC charger for 100 miles, so they might make the difference of wherever or not you can do a trip in some cases. They would be paid, not free.

Well there you go. They thought of everything!

Except the lack of profits, dealer pushback and waning EV sales.

But I guess it was a good way to try to expand the charging network, unfortunately it didn’t work out.

 

[AKgrampy]

I understand the need for long distance travel but the economics for small dealers and weak EV sales is daunting. I would say Fairbanks Alaska fits the bill for many smallish towns. We have one site with two 50kW chargers. We are getting two more sites with a total of 9 chargers this summer/fall if all goes as planned. The two existing sites have less than a 3% usage rate. How can any additional sites, even with NEVI funds, ever hope to be profitable and fund ongoing O&M costs? The solution of course is increased sales but now our local dealer can no longer sell EV’s. I hope Ford changes course and only requires the technical training and investment in tools in order to sell EV’s. DCFC to dealers as needed and economics demand.

 

[Jerrytball]

Northwestern Wisconsin is lacking in dcfc. Single 50 kW charger in Clam Lake and another at Tregilo isnt good. Yes Ashland had a GM dealer open a 50kW dcfc along with the the Bayfield County Court House location for those traveling along Lake Superior.

If I ever take my EV to Upper peninsula I’ll probably just take the newest travel plans to that place. Probably leave the EVhome a nonstop flight Mississippi to Minneapolis for $75 Rent-A-Car and drive to the UP like I used to Ashland and Lake superior superior Wisconsin.

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