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Following Ford’s National Dealer Meeting in September, every dealership (almost 3,000 total) had the option to enroll in the company’s new Model e business. The program allows Ford dealers to invest in the future and become part of the automaker’s “revolutionary” electric vehicle transformation.

Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, announced Monday during an Automotive News World Congress interview how many dealers have enrolled in the initial Model e Program for the 2024-2026 period.

Throughout its nearly 120-year history, Ford has watched the auto industry progress through several major transformations to keep up with the demands of modern society.

Ford has remained one of the top automakers throughout its time by listening to its customers and strategically adjusting. After announcing the Ford + plan to drive growth and accelerate the EV rollout, Farley proclaimed it was Ford’s:

Biggest opportunity for growth and value creation since Henry Ford started to scale the Model T, and we’re grabbing it with both hands.

In March, the company expanded its growth strategy, creating three distinct business units: Model e, Ford Blue, and Ford Pro.

  • Model e: to accelerate innovation and breakthrough of electric vehicles at scale.
  • Ford Blue: will build out the company’s ICE vehicles portfolio, using the cash flow to expand its EV unit.
  • Ford Pro: the company’s business and software solutions.

Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford explained in March, “This isn’t the first time Ford has reimagined the future and taken our own path,” as the company embarks on its electrifying journey.

However, to compete with current leader Tesla, Ford has recognized it needs to streamline the customer experience. Although Tesla sells directly to the consumer, cutting out the middleman costs, Ford says, “We’re betting on the dealers. We’re not going direct. But we need to specialize.”

Ford’s Model e dealer electric vehicle program

Farley said the company needed to lower costs, increase profitability and deliver a superior customer experience in order to compete.

Ford asked its dealership network to “join us on an epic journey of sustainable expansion and customer excellence,” giving them the option to opt-in to its new Model e business.

Under the program, Ford dealers can choose from one of two tiers to become “EV certified.” The lower tier requires a 500K initial investment and includes:

  • Repair and maintenance
  • One public DC fast charger
  • No EVs to show (BTO only)
  • No presence on Ford.com.

The “certified elite” includes two public DC fast chargers, demo units, rapid replenishment, and a presence on Ford.com but will cost around $1 million to $1.2 million.

Monday, Farley announced 1,920 Ford dealers enrolled in the initial voluntary Model e program for 2024 to 2026. Of those:

  • 1,659 chose the Certified Elite tier.
  • 261 selected the Certified tier.

Ford says dealers that chose not to participate will have another opportunity to participate in the electric vehicle program in 2025.

Electrek’s Take

With 96% of automotive customers living within 20 miles of a Ford dealership, the program is smart on the automaker’s part to streamline its EV rollout.

Ford is currently the number two EV maker in the US behind Tesla, but to surpass the EV pioneer, it will take getting everyone on board, starting with the dealerships. Perhaps, more importantly, with 1,659 dealerships receiving two DC fast chargers available on the Blue Oval Charge Network (BOCN) and another 261 receiving one, Ford will have one of the largest EV charging networks in the US.

Ford’s BOCN currently has over 4,000 DC fast charging locations, and as dealers roll out their new chargers, it will continue adding to the count.

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A wind farm in Texas will help power Rivian’s Adventure Network

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A wind farm in Texas will help power Rivian's Adventure Network

Rivian will power its DC fast-charging network with renewable energy company RWE’s Champion Wind farm in Texas.

The two companies just signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity from RWE’s repowered Champion Wind in Nolan and Mitchell counties, west of Abilene.

The 127-megawatt (MW) Champion Wind is getting new turbine nacelles and blades, which will extend the wind farm’s lifespan. Originally commissioned in 2008, the wind farm is expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025. When the wind farm is back online, it’ll be capable of generating enough electricity to power nearly 1 billion miles of renewable driving every year for Rivian, or the equivalent of powering 36,000 homes annually in Texas.

This wind power is set to support Rivian’s DC fast-charging Adventure Network with renewable energy. Rivian has set a specific goal to enable 7 billion miles of renewable driving.

Paul Frey, Rivian’s VP of propulsion, charging & adventure products, said, “Champion Wind is a powerful enabler for Rivian drivers to become active participants in building a cleaner grid every time they charge their vehicle. This project shows the potential to meaningfully decarbonize the grid and support a more circular economy through reuse and recovery of existing infrastructure, all while maintaining highly competitive economics.”

Siemens Gamesa is supplying 41 turbines with new nacelles and blades on existing towers. The nacelles and blades are being manufactured in the US. In addition, as part of the repowering project, six new Siemens Gamesa turbines rated at 3.1 MW each will also be added to the wind farm.

The decommissioned wind turbine blades from Champion will be repurposed. RWE is working with REGEN Fiber, an Iowa-based company that recycles wind turbine blades to make reinforcement fibers for the construction industry. Those fibers are then used in concrete to add strength and durability, extending the lifespan of infrastructure.

RWE is the third-largest renewable energy company in the US.

Read more: This renewables giant is going to use wooden wind turbine towers


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Rivian offers $3k discount to buyers switching from a gas car, with a catch

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Rivian offers k discount to buyers switching from a gas car, with a catch

Rivian is bringing back its “All-Electric upgrade offer” from now until November 30th, but with some changes to the program.

Earlier this year, Rivian offered $1k-$5k off a new Rivian if you trade in an old gas car, from April to June. The offer was available for specific vehicles, and with a sliding discount scale based on which Rivian vehicle you order.

Now the program has come back, but with quite a few changes from the previous version.

As of today, October 31, if you buy a new Rivian R1T or R1S new inventory vehicle from the R1 Shop, you can get a $3,000 discount if you also prove that you own or lease a qualifying gas-powered vehicle.

This is simultaneously simpler, more lenient, and more restrictive than the previous offer, in various ways.

First, the discount is a flat $3k (or $4,100 CAD), rather than having a scale based on what model you order, which is more streamlined.

Second, the discount applies to every gas or hybrid vehicle owner – you don’t have to trade in your vehicle, and you’re not limited to a specific list of vehicles. Just prove that you own or lease a gas car (copy of registration, proof of insurance, etc), and you get the discount.

However, third, it’s more restrictive as to what vehicles you can purchase. The current offer applies only to Rivian new inventory vehicles in the R1 Shop, and excludes demo vehicles, pre-owned vehicles, or custom build vehicles. It also does not apply to Rivian’s base Dual Standard models, but everything else is fair game.

In order to qualify, you need to place your order between today and November 30, and you must take delivery of the vehicle before December 31. Check out all the specifics of the offer on Rivian’s site here.

Electrek’s Take

Rivian is clearly trying to round out its yearly numbers with this offer, as the market for pricy cars is somewhat soft with increased interest rates. It just slightly lowered its annual delivery guidance, now planning to see roughly similar deliveries this year than last.

But its R1 vehicles just got a huge refresh to help the company with costs and to offer new features. The R1S is still one of the most popular high-priced vehicles in the US, and the company’s products earn universal acclaim from owners.

The interesting thing is that Rivian had a similar offer earlier this year, before the refresh, to help clear out inventory of older vehicles. It didn’t see it fit to offer the discount last quarter, perhaps buoyed by the updated model, but after a rough Q3 of deliveries it now brought the offer back.

Rivian is still guiding to reach a slight gross profit in Q4, though we’re sure we’ll hear more about that in its upcoming quarterly earnings next week.

If our coverage of Rivian has helped inform you about the brand, feel free to use our Rivian referral code to get 6 months of free charging or 750 Rivian Rewards points with your purchase.


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Hyundai Casper EV Cross spotted for the first time with new design upgrades [Video]

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Hyundai Casper EV Cross spotted for the first time with new design upgrades [Video]

Hyundai’s new low-cost EV is getting a bold design upgrade. The Hyundai Casper EV Cross was spotted for the first time in public, revealing new design elements.

Although we knew a rugged “Cross” variant was headed to Europe, this was the first time the domestic model was spotted with an upgraded design.

Hyundai unveiled the Inster EV Cross earlier this month, giving the electric city car an off-road new look.

The Inster EV is Hyundai’s overseas version of its domestic Casper Electric model. In Korea, Hyundai’s Casper EV starts at around $20,000 (27.4 million won). Hyundai said its new EV can be bought for under $8,000 (10 million won) with subsidies.

In Europe, it starts at under $27,000 (25,000 euros). The Cross variant is built for “those looking for an EV with a more adventurous look,” Hyundai said.

Although it offers the same versatility as the standard model, the Inster EV Cross gains rugged design elements, including new front and rear bumpers, black claddings, skid plates, a roof rack, and more.

Hyundai-Casper-EV-Cross
Hyundai Inster EV Cross (Source: Hyundai)

Here’s our first look at the Hyundai Casper EV Cross

After a rugged new variant with the Casper EV logo was spotted in Korea for the first time, a Cross model is expected to debut shortly.

The new video from HealerTV reveals added design elements, including the roof rack and more aggressive black trim.

Hyundai Casper EV Cross spotted for the first time (Source: HealerTV)

The reporter notes that the Hyundai Casper EV Cross has a “much more mechanical and futuristic feel than the existing model.”

It almost appears “robot-like” with an added off-road feel. The Inster EV Cross gets up to 223 mi (360 km) WLTP driving range. In Korea, the Casper Electric is rated with up to 195 miles (315 km) driving range.

Hyundai-Casper-Electric
Hyundai Casper Electric (Source: Hyundai)

Although Hyundai Casper (Inster) EV is not expected to launch in the US, the low-cost model was spotted driving in California for the first time this month.

In the meantime, off-road fans can get in line for Hyundai’s upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which will be available with a rugged XRT trim. The 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT model was also recently caught testing ahead of deliveries.

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