Ford is trying to ease the burden of EV charging by offering free home chargers. If you purchase or lease a Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, or E-Transit at retail between October 1st and January 2nd, the automaker will send a technician for free installation. Sometimes I do. However, Ford may choose to extend it. If successful, run the program. (Ford Pro fleet customers will receive a commercial charging cash incentive instead.)
According to The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, those who take up the offer will receive a Level 2 charger in their home. The Ford Charge Station Pro costs $1,310, and the company typically charges $2,000 for installation, so this should save Ford EV buyers and renters a significant amount of money. The charger comes with 80 feet of wiring and can deliver up to 60 amps of power, Stern said. Still, those looking to sign up may need to make sure their garage is properly connected to take full advantage of Level 2 charging.
The EV portion of Ford’s business has struggled recently, with the company predicting it will lose up to $5.5 billion this year. In January, the company cut production of the F-150 Lightning due to lower-than-expected demand, shifting resources to ramping up production of the Broncos and Ranger. A few months later, the company postponed some EV models, including a planned three-row SUV, to focus on hybrids. But in August, the automaker completely canceled the three-row SUV project and further delayed development of several other EVs.
Encouraging EV purchases and leases with free home chargers and installations is smart and could be profitable for Ford. But it may prove to be just a band-aid for the department’s deeper problems.
