Everything is going online and that means less room for negotiating prices. Ford intends to take EV sales to the online world and use a standard fixed price to ensure a smooth transaction.
While this doesn’t bode well for the automaker’s dealership network, its not the end of the line for them either. Taking EV sales to the digital world will help Ford compete with Tesla and grow its lineup of EVs for the future. This move should also streamline the sales process and allow customers to receive vehicles in a new way.
Will Ford Dealers Feel a Squeeze
If EV sales of Ford models are completely online, what will happen to the dealerships? CEO Jim Farley thinks the dealership network can be a huge opportunity to have an edge on the competitors that don’t offer dealership sales. This message is directly targeted at Tesla which doesn’t use a dealership network at all but has online sales for all models. Even though Ford could have a leg up with their dealers, Ford estimates they spend about $2,000 per car distributing vehicles to customers through the dealership network, which could be why this change is needed.
How Will Customers Receive Their Cars in the Future?
Not only will future Ford EV models be sold only online, but delivery will also be handled remotely. This movement toward cutting out the dealership is another massive move for the Blue Oval. Selling a Ford EV just got much easier with a fixed price, an easy online process, and remote delivery that could be right at the customer’s doorstep. We don’t yet know whether or not Ford will use this sales strategy in the non-EV models, but there might not be Ford dealer locations in the near future.
Ford Won’t Advertise As Much
Another area where Ford will scale back is with advertising for its EVs. Farley jokes that if Ford ever creates a Super Bowl Ad for electric vehicles investors should be worried. This means we might not see new models from Ford coming out with commercials showing some of the famous actors we’ve come to know. This could seriously save the company a lot of money and move things forward for the brand. Will we ever see another Ford commercial and will this be an advertising process that more automakers use going forward.
Dealers Can Take a Sigh of Relief
While the Ford brand will work toward EV sales being offered online with a fixed price, the comments by Farley were out of context. Ford has no intention of deleting its dealer network, although continued dealers could face much stricter standards. The online sales platform will be in addition to the physical dealerships around the country. This movement will usher in a new way for Ford customers to shop, making it much easier for customers to buy the Ford they desire. Yes, we’ve seen retailers add online e-commerce platforms to their process to engage with a customer base that doesn’t go to the store.
What Ford EVs are Currently Offered?
Skipping over the electric transit van, we see two EV models that offer most consumers the drive and performance desired. These two vehicles are the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Let’s take a look at what these two models offer.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
One of the new Ford EV models that should enter online sales at a fixed price is the Mustang Mach-E. This new compact SUV takes the performance name and offers plenty of power and performance for you drive. This car brings the name and styling from the iconic muscle car to give you the practicality of an SUV to give you a roomy and high-tech vehicle to drive and enjoy.
What Does this Ford EV Bring to the Market?
If you want to drive this new performance-oriented SUV, you’ll have a vehicle that truly lives up to the Mustang name that brings plenty of advanced tech features. The driving range for this SUV is 314 miles on a full charge and it qualifies for the Federal EV Tax Credit. The Mach-E is an IIHS Top Safety Pick.
This new SUV brings some new stuff with the California Route 1 model, a new Ice White Appearance Package, a standard black roof on GT models, and available BlueCruise hands-free driving. The GT Performance Edition is a powerful Mustang with a sprint speed of 3.5 seconds to reach 60 mph while delivering 634 lb-ft of torque.
Ford F-150 Lightning
When you want to use electricity for your drive, the truck you want to enjoy is the Ford F-150 Lightning. This is one of the most impressive Ford EV models you can buy online at the fixed prices set by the automaker. If you’ve heard anything about the price gouging going on at Ford dealers, you’ll be glad to have this set price. The F-150 Lightning is a truck that delivers excellent power, performance, and capabilities when you’re out on the road.
What Does this Truck Have for You?
The F-150 Lightning delivers up to 320 miles of driving range and lots of cool storage options. You’ll have tons of torque, payload, and towing capabilities when you get behind the wheel of the Lightning. This is a completely new and interesting electric truck that delivers the F-150 qualities that make it the right one to drive. You’ll be glad to see the 14 cubic-foot trunk in the front where the engine would have been. This space is called a frunk and Ford gave it a lot of cool features.
More Ford EVs are Coming
While the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning will likely be the first two models offered as part of the new move to sell EV Ford models online at a fixed price. There are more electric models coming to the market from the blue oval brand and they could be part of an easy way for you and other consumers to enjoy an easy online sales process.
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