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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In his latest crackdown on e-bike riders, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pushing for a new citywide e-bike speed limit of 15 mph (25 km/h), despite the fact that no one seems to know how it would actually be enforced.
The proposal, introduced last month as part of a broader package aimed at improving safety on city streets, would make it illegal to ride an e-bike over 15 mph. But experts, advocates, and even city officials are scratching their heads about how the rule would work in practice.
Most consumer e-bikes are already sold with speed limits in place: 20 mph (32 km/h) for throttle assist and 28 mph (45 km/) for pedal assist, per classifications used in the majority of states in the US. Yet those limits are controlled by the bike’s electronics, not by any city infrastructure.
According to reporting by Hell Gate NYC, even the Mayor’s own office couldn’t explain what the enforcement mechanism would look like, and no single agency has so far been put in charge of enforcing the speed limit. Will the city mandate software modifications such as those that limit Class 3 e-bikes to 25 mph (40 km/h) in NYC? Would they rely on radar guns like traditional speeding enforcement for cars? Install speed cameras that can identify bikes? So far, there are no answers.
Citi Bike has already reduced its electric bicycle fleet’s speed limits to 15 mph, but that only impacts shared e-bikes used in the city. Complicating matters further is the fact that most delivery riders – who are clearly the unspoken target of this policy – don’t use mainstream e-bikes from the major manufacturers, or even those that can accept firmware updates to adjust speed and power. Many of them ride inexpensive, sometimes heavily modified throttle bikes purchased online or from bike shops like FLY that cater to these types of riders. Such e-bikes often lack more sophisticated software speed-limiting features, and few, if any, have any form of digital connectivity that could allow for remote speed capping.
City transportation experts note that enforcement of speed limits on e-bikes is nearly impossible without clocking and stopping each rider. Unlike cars, bikes don’t have license plates. And even if a bike is capable of going faster than 15 mph, it doesn’t mean the rider is actually breaking the law – unless caught in the act. Nearly every car in NYC can likely push close to or past 100 mph (160 km/h), despite the city wide’s vehicular speed limit of just 25 mph. Advocates have also questioned the wisdom of focusing on e-bike speed while car crashes continue to injure and kill far more people.
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Environment
Range Rover’s electric SUV won’t launch this year after a surprise delay, but there’s more
Range Rover’s first EV was initially scheduled to arrive later this year, but that won’t be the case. JLR has delayed the launch of the Range Rover Electric after telling customers they will have to wait a little longer. However, that may not be the only EV JLR is delaying.
Range Rover Electric and Jaguar EVs are being delayed
Although the electric SUV was originally due to hit showrooms in late 2025, it’s now being pushed back until next year.
The British automaker claimed it needed more time for testing while it waited for stronger demand. However, there’s more to the story. According to The Guardian, Jaguar Land Rover wrote to clients waiting for the Range Rover Electric, telling them deliveries will not start until 2026.
Sources close to the matter said the delay could also impact two Jaguar EV models, including the radical blue-and-pink Type 00 Concept. Jaguar’s electric vehicles are expected to be delayed by several months.
The news comes after JLR announced plans to cut up to 500 management positions in the UK this week. Britain’s largest carmaker was hit hard by the Trump Administration’s new auto tariffs.
JLR’s sales plunged over 15% in the previous quarter after the company was forced to temporarily halt shipments to the US.
A company spokesperson confirmed that “By 2030 JLR will sell electric versions of all its luxury brands,” adding “we will launch our new models at the right time for our clients, our business and individual markets.”
Range Rover’s first electric SUV has secured over 61,000 customers on the waiting list. JLR claims it’s currently undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured.”
An electric version of the Velar is due for a radical new look. It’s scheduled for production in April 2026, but that could also be delayed. An electric Defender is due out in early 2027.
Meanwhile, production on Jaguar’s new EV, its first since the I-PACE, is set to begin in August 2026. Jaguar’s electric GT is expected to cost over £100,000 ($135,000) as part of its brand revamp. Its second EV may not launch until December 2027 now.
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Aventon and Lectric, a surge in Amish riding e-bikes, a wireless charging kickstand, cheaper electric motorcycles coming from Honda and LiveWire and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We also have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:00 a.m. ET):
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