Ford has decided to give its dealers an extra month to decide whether they will opt in to the program to sell electric vehicles, which requires investments of up to $1.2 million.
The October 31 deadline has been pushed back to December 2 after some dealers asked for more time to make a decision. The new deadline more closely aligns with the December 15 deadline Lincoln dealers face for a similar program requiring up to $900,000 in investment. Retailers who sell both brands will be required to invest in each program, which would set them back up to $2.1 million.
Ford divides its EV dealership standards into two tiers with different investment levels in fast chargers and staff training. Dealers who don’t make the upgrades will get to keep their franchise but will be limited to selling Ford internal combustion engine vehicles and hybrids.
