Ford’s EV program coming to hundreds of Lincoln dealers covering nearly 90% of sales
Ford gave its dealers, including Lincoln, an ultimatum to either buy in and go all-in on selling electric vehicles or wait until 2027 as part of its voluntary Model-e EV program. Although a little over half of Lincoln dealers opted in, they account for the great majority of the brand’s sales.
As Ford fights to gain market share in the booming US electric vehicle market, CEO Jim Farley says the company needs to lower costs, boost profitability, and enhance the customer experience to better compete.
Ford was the second-largest EV maker in the US last year, selling 61,575 all-electric vehicles as it works to ramp production.
In March, Ford accelerated its EV growth strategy, announcing it will report as three business units, with the Model-e team leading the company’s electric vehicle initiatives.
To streamline the buying experience for Ford and Lincoln EV buyers, the company asked its dealership network to “join us on an epic journey of sustainable expansion and customer experience” through its Model-e dealer program.
Farley announced in December that two-thirds of Ford dealerships opted into the program to sell electric vehicles. As a result, the other third will have to wait until 2027 or when Ford holds another round.
Over half of Lincoln dealers opt into Ford’s EV program
Up until now, we haven’t caught wind of how many Lincoln dealers would be involved in the transformation. According to a new report from Automotive News, 59% of them have joined Ford’s “epic journey” to invest up to $900,000 to sell EVs.
Of Lincoln’s 600 US dealers, 356 are opting in, including all standalone dealerships. A spokesperson from the company told Automotive News:
This gives Lincoln a robust network of retailers who have agreed to take the necessary steps to prepare for our brand’s transition towards electrification and better serve our EV clients.
Meanwhile, the 356 Lincoln dealers account for 88% of the brand’s sales volume, with about 90% of them located in the nation’s top 130 luxury markets.
For those in luxury markets, a $900,000 investment results in two DC fast chargers and seven level 2 chargers. Dealerships that include both Ford and Lincoln are required to invest in both programs, but they can sell an unlimited (assuming they have the inventory) number of EVs.
As Electrek has previously reported, Ford’s dealer program will result in one of the largest DC fast-charging networks in the US.
Although Lincoln doesn’t sell any electric vehicles at the moment, it does expect half of its global volume to be electric by 2025. The brand has announced it will release three Lincoln EVs by 2025 and another the following year.
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A dozen Tesla vehicles burned at a store in Toulouse, France. Arson is suspected amid global protests and vandalism attacks against Tesla and Elon Musk.
Last night, a dozen Tesla vehicles burned down at Tesla’s retail and service location in Plaisance-du-Touch near Toulouse, France.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at around 4 a.m. and contained the fire to the vehicles. Eight of them were completely destroyed, and four were greatly damaged. The damages are estimated at over 700,000 euros.
According to the local news (translated from French), the police suspected arson as a hole was found in a fence, and threats had been made over the last few weeks. The Tesla location remained closed all day.
Tesla is currently being protested by anti-fascist groups around the world, especially in the US, where many are targeting Tesla to protest against Elon Musk’s involvement in the US government.
In France, there were a few protests planned, but some extremist groups are calling for widespread arson against Tesla stores:
I won’t share the link to the article since it gives step-by-step instructions on how to burn down Tesla stores without getting caught, but the manifesto explains that they are going after Tesla as a “symbol of capitalism,” although they also list a dozen other reasons including the fact that they think it’s “doable and cheap.”
Electrek’s Take
This is getting nuts. It’s not only dangerous, but it’s also not super effective in achieving the goal they claim to want to achieve.
Have they never heard of insurance? Tesla is having issues selling cars right now. You are burning unsold inventory that they can then claim to their insurance.
Sure, it disrupts their operations for a short period of time, but it’s not worth it.
Their manifesto does say to avoid violence and not to target vehicles owned by individuals – though it doesn’t sound like a strict rule for them, but I think these people are likely going to end up in jail for having achieved nothing.
The protests and boycotts are going strong. You don’t need to burn cars to make yourself heard.
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Environment
Ford F-150 Lightning sales have been falling for months: What’s going on with the EV pickup?
Is Ford’s electric pickup in trouble? Sales have been down for months, and February showed no relief. What’s going on with the Ford F-150 Lightning?
Ford F-150 Lightning sales drop again in February 2025
Ford’s US sales dropped by 9% last month. Although electrified vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, both notched double-digit growth, sales of Ford’s gas-powered (ICE) models, which accounted for over 85% of deliveries, fell nearly 13%.
Hybrids saw higher demand with sales up 27.5% to 15,357, while EV sales increased 15% to 7,326. The Mustang Mach-E was a bright spot with 3,312 models sold in February, up 13% from the prior year.
With 6,841 Mach-Es sold through the first three months of 2025, Ford’s electric crossover SUV remains a top-selling EV in the US.
Ford’s electric pickup didn’t fare as well. F-150 Lightning Sales were down nearly 15% last month with only 2,199 units sold. Through March, Ford has sold 15% fewer Lightning models than it did at this time last year.
Sales of the electric pickup have been slipping for months now. In the final three months of 2024, F-150 Lightning sales were down 10%.
The Lightning, alongside Rivian’s R1T, are no longer the only electric pickups on the market. Ford is facing new competition with the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV, arriving.
According to Cox Automotive, the Tesla Cybertruck slipped past the Lightning to become the fifth best-selling EV in the US last year with nearly 39,000 units sold. Ford’s Lightning was sixth with just over 33,500 models sold.
Ford extended its “Power Promise” promo earlier this year to boost demand, giving EV buyers a Level 2 home charger and other benefits, but Lightning sales are still down.
The American automaker cut Lightning production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center last year, citing slower-than-expected demand. A new report from Automotive News claims Ford is now ending a pilot program to stock and distribute EVs through regional hubs after it failed to catch on. It was designed to speed up deliveries.
Although Ford plans to launch a smaller midsize electric pickup, it won’t arrive until at least two more years. With new competition, like the Ram 1500 REV and Volkswagen Scout pickup, hitting the market over the next few years, Ford may find it even harder to attract buyers.
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