Ford is offering big deals on its electric vehicles late this year.
That includes 0% APR on both the F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E.
It also includes free home charger installation and thousands off of sticker prices.
As the year comes to a close, automakers are eager to make deals. Ford is no stranger to this game plan and it’s coming to market with some serious incentives. Not only will it agree to install a charger for those who buy or purchase some EVs, but it’ll stack discounts and financing deals onto that too. Here’s a breakdown of what to look for if you want an electric Ford.
First and foremost, these deals all include Ford’s “Power Promise” that it launched earlier this year. That means that buyers or lessees will get a charger installed at their home (if applicable) included in the cost of the car itself. That on its own is already a big cost savings and is a major hurdle to overcome for many EV buyers.
On top of that, InsideEVs points out that those who lease a Mustang Mach-E get up to $3,000 off in bonus cash. That can be combined with the $7,500 federal tax incentive to effectively lop off $10,500 from the price of a Mach-E—not to mention any additional state-level tax breaks.
That’s a screaming deal on a mostly good electric vehicle. Those who prefer to buy the Mach-E still get a good deal. That includes 0% APR for 72 months and $5,000 in bonus cash. Notably, the Mach-E doesn’t qualify for the federal tax credit when bought. Nevertheless, buyers still get the free charger installation.
On the F-150 Lightning side of the world, the pickup gets the same APR and bonus cash deal for buyers. In this case, that deal is only available to buyers who select the XLT and Platinum+ trim levels. Customers interested in leasing the truck get $3,500 in lease cash along with $3,000 bonus cash.
In a market where several car brands are offering deals right now, these ones from Ford are competitive to say the least. Don’t forget that state tax incentives could add to these discounts too.
Ford reported October sales with a 15.2% increase overall compared to the same month last year.
Hybrid sales surged by 38.5%, while internal combustion engine models grew by 14.1% in October.
F-150 Lightning sales plummeted nearly 50%, which explains their recent decision to halt production.
Ford has high hopes for their next-generation of electric vehicles, but their current models continue to struggle. That’s clear today as the automaker reported an 8.3% drop in EV sales compared to October of last year.
The big loser was the F-150 Lightning, which saw a 49.8% drop in sales. Given the steep decline, it’s not surprising the company recently announced plans to temporarily halt production later this month until early next year.
While buyers turned their backs on the electric pickup, they embraced the Mustang Mach-E as sales were up 21.3% to 3,313 units. That upward trend could continue in the future as Ford recently announced pricing for the 2025 model would start at $36,495 which is $3,500 less than its predecessor.
Meanwhile, E-Transit sales rocketed up 181.1%, but before popping the champagne, consider this: they only sold 1,088 units. It’s hard to celebrate when the numbers are still so small. A triple-digit percentage increase doesn’t mean much when the baseline is barely on the radar.
Ford US Sales
PROPULSION
OCT-24
OCT-23
Diff.
YTD-24
YTD-23
Diff.
Electric Vehicles
6,264
6,831
-8.3
73,953
53,502
38.2
Hybrid Vehicles
18,224
13,155
38.5
158,568
109,669
44.6
Internal Combustion
148,268
129,952
14.1
1,488,407
1,494,839
-0.4
Total vehicles
172,756
149,938
15.2
1,720,928
1,658,010
3.8
SWIPE
While Ford doesn’t breakdown hybrid sales in a similar fashion, the automaker reported a 38.5% jump in October. That outpaced sales of conventionally powered models, which were up 14.1% to 148,268 units.
It’s not immediately clear which eco-friendly models performed best, but Ford has previously credited strong truck sales. During their third quarter earnings bonanza, the automaker revealed they “commanded 77% of the U.S. hybrid truck market during the quarter, with hybrid truck sales up 42%.”
Putting hybrids aside, Bronco sales were up 104.7%, while the Bronco Sport saw a 13% improvement for the month. Mustang sales were off by 37% and they’re down 1% year-to-date.
Over at Lincoln, the company continues to see strong demand for the facelifted Aviator as well as the redesigned Nautilus. The luxury brand could also get a boost from the 2025 Navigator, but it won’t arrive until next spring.
Company bonuses will be tied to a new performance system to keep employees more accountable.
Bonuses could start to be adjusted as early as the current quarter.
Ford will slash company bonuses as part of a new system that will only reward employees when certain goals are met in a bid to cut costs.
Chief executive Jim Farley is eager to save money while also improving the quality of Ford models. Company bonuses will now be tied to a performance system to keep employees more accountable. Manager bonuses will be slashed by 65% of their current total. Speaking on Ford’s recent third-quarter earnings presentation, Farley said, “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but we are not fully satisfied.”
“When we meet or exceed our targets for those factors – and we achieve the ambitious goals of Ford+ – the team is rewarded,” a Ford spokesman added. “We are focused on lowering our costs, improving our quality and making Ford a higher growth, higher margin, more capital efficient and more resilient business.”
The spokesman told Reuters that bonuses could be adjusted depending on the company’s performance through the fourth quarter.
Slashing bonuses isn’t the only way that Ford is looking to save money and offset the $1 billion charge it took after canceling plans for a three-row electric SUV. Late last week it was revealed the carmakeer will idle the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, which builds the F-150 Lightning, from mid-November until January 6, 2025.
By pausing production, Ford will be able to clear some of the existing F-150 Lightning inventory, but the move still caught many off guard. Indeed, sales of the electric truck were up 86% through the first nine months of the year compared to 2023. Ford already reduced output at the truck’s production facility from two shifts to one and clearly isn’t selling as many examples as it had originally forecast.
Ford dealerships across the US are also being rewarded up to $1,000 for each F-150 Lightning XLT, Flash, Lariant, or Platinum model they order from one of the carmaker’s regional hubs, or ‘Rapid Replenishment Centers.’
Ford is to temporarily stop production of its F-150 Lightning due to slow demand for electric vehicles in North America.
The Lightning line in Michigan will be paused from the middle of November until January 6, 2025.
Lightning sales are up 86 percent this year, but Tesla’s Cybertruck has proved more popular with buyers.
Ford is temporarily shutting down F-150 Lightning production as part of a plan to deal with lukewarm demand for electric vehicles that is causing problems for multiple automakers.
The Lightning line at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan will be idled from the middle of November until January 6, 2025, Auto News reports. Granted, that timeframe includes Ford’s regular one-week holiday shutdown, but it’s still an embarrassing fall from grace for a truck that’s supposed to be one of Ford’s halo models.
And the decision might come as a surprise if you’ve been following Lightning news during 2024. Sales of the electric truck climbed 86 percent in the first nine months of this year versus the same period in 2023, although things weren’t perfect. Early this year Ford was forced to water down its sales predictions and cut jobs at the Rouge plant when it took the Lightning production from two shifts to one. And the F-150’s showy Tesla Cybertruck rival easily knocked it off the top of the electric truck sales chart. Tesla sold 16,692 Cybertrucks in Q3 to Ford’s 7,162 Lightnings.
Ford hasn’t revealed how much F-150 EV inventory it holds (it had 100 days of all F-150 types as of last month, per Cox Automotive), but the fact that it’s shutting the line suggests it has far too many finished Lightnings hanging around and wants to pare that inventory back. And to prevent it finding itself in the same situation with other EVs a couple of years down the road, Ford announced in August that it was delaying the introduction of another large electric truck and scrapping a planned three-row electric SUV. It will concentrate on developing smaller models and hybrids instead.
The electric slowdown has caught many automakers off guard and Ford isn’t the only brand who has been forced to idle production lines to get back on track. Fiat announced in September that it would pause production of its 500e in Italy for one month, but recently extended the shutdown for another three weeks as a result of continued poor sales.
Fortunately for Ford, it hasn’t thrown all its eggs in the electric basket and can still offer buyers combustion-engined trucks. But Fiat killed off its combustion 500 and has now been forced to re-engineer the EV model to accept a hybrid powertrain, a project that will take a couple of years.
We’ve contacted Ford for a comment and will provide an update on this story as soon as they respond.
Booming Tesla Cybertruck sales helped it overtake the Ford Mustang Mach-E in Q3.
Cybertruck deliveries reached 16,692, while Mach-E sales fell almost 10 percent to 13,392.
The surge helped Tesla lock out the top three EV positions, the first two spots going to the Y and 3.
Analysts often tell us that the high price of EVs is one of the main reasons they’re not selling in the volumes automakers had hoped for. But that thinking doesn’t apply to the Tesla Cybertruck, whose sales are surging despite a six-figure price. It seems that, for a certain type of buyer, the Cybertruck’s brute, sci-fi appeal is well worth the price of admission.
Cybertrucks found 16,692 new owners in the US in Q3, making the pickup the country’s third most popular EV, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. Its move into the number three spot came at the expense of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, whose sales dropped by almost 10 percent to 13,392. Honda’s Prologue bagged fifth place with 12,644 units sold and 11,590 Americans bough the sixth-placed Hyundai Ioniq 5.
As if you hadn’t already guessed, the Cybertruck’s Q3 performance also completed Tesla’s lock-out of the EV sales chart’s top three positions. But the angular truck has a long way to go before it can think of ascending to first or second spot. Second place in the Jul-Sept period went to the freshly facelifted Model 3, whose sales climbed 9.7 percent to 58,423, and the Model 3 hung onto first despite its deliveries dropping 9.1 percent to 86,801.
Other Q3 EV winners include the Cadillac Lyriq (up 139.4 percent to 7,224 units), Ford F-150 Lightning (up 104.5 percent but still miles behind the Cybertruck at 7,162), Nissan Leaf (up 187.5 percent to 4,514) and Lexus RZ (up 96.7 percent to 2,742). Toyota bZ4X sales also improved by 45.3 percent to 4,109 in a period where its Subaru Solterra twin made a more modest 34.4 percent gain to 3,752.
But not everyone can be a winner. VW ID.4 sales dropped 57.8 percent to 4,518, the Tesla Model S plummeted 46.7 percent to 1,669, Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 lost 56.9 percent of its sales, which fell to 2,158, the Audi A8 e-tron found only 1,745 buyers (down 51.5 percent) and BMW’s i7 slipped 47 percent to just 573. America’s least popular EV was the Genesis G80. Only 155 people bought one of those, 67.1 percent fewer than in Q3 2023.
When looking at sales by brand, it’s no surprise that Tesla reigns supreme with 166,923 cars sold. Ford trails far behind in second place with 23,509 units (up 12 percent), while Chevrolet, with a 25.6 percent sales boost, rounds out the top three with 19,993 units.
Ford dealers are being encouraged to order F-150 Lightning models from its distribution facilities.
Thanks to the incentives, some dealers may be encouraged to offer customers better prices.
Dealers will receive payments for every F-150 Lightning XLT, Flash, Lariat, or Platinum they order.
Ford dealerships across the U.S. stand to pocket up to $22,500 in bonuses for 2024 F-150 Lightning models ordered through one of the automaker’s Rapid Replenishment Centers (RRCs). These regional hubs act as distribution points, designed to help dealers cut back on keeping a glut of EVs in their showrooms.
The bonus program was launched on October 15 and will run through until November 15. Dealers will be paid $1,000 for each F-150 Lightning XLT, Flash, Lariat, or Platinum model they order, up to a maximum of nine units. The incentive sweetens to $1,500 per truck for those placing orders of 10 to 15 vehicles. A dealer hitting the top bracket with 15 trucks stands to collect the full $22,500—effectively rewarding those who go all-in on Lightning stock.
A memo sent to dealers stated the program is designed to “further test the logistics and efficiencies of RRCs and to increase RRC engagement.” The subtext here? Ford’s making a play to bolster the performance of its RRC network, a critical element in smoothing the rollout of its electric future, while dangling a hefty carrot in front of dealerships.
It’s too early to say how the program may impact buyers. Cars Direct notes it’s possible some dealers may be encouraged to offer better prices and leasing deals for the F-150 Lightning, thanks to the bonuses and reduce the need to stock in showrooms. However, some shoppers may not like the idea of purchasing an F-150 Lightning if they can’t see it in the flesh at a dealership lot, and instead, it has to be ordered from one of the distribution centers.
Ford had sold 22,807 examples of the F-150 Lightning through September this year, an 86% increase compared to last year. In a bid to further drive up sales of the F-150 Lightning, as well as the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit, Ford recently announced it will offer buyers and lessees a free Ford Charge Station Pro bidirectional charger worth $1,310.
Of course, this isn’t Ford’s first rodeo when it comes to greasing the wheels for dealers. Earlier this year, the automaker introduced “stair-step incentives,” where dealers could receive $750 per truck for hitting sales targets and $1,500 for surpassing them. The latest incentive scheme is just another page in Ford’s playbook to push its electric ambitions, even if it means stepping on a few traditional toes along the way.
Multiple police departments in California feel that the Tesla Model 3 isn’t up for law enforcement duty.
Police chiefs say Tesla’s limited passenger space and tricky tech are big obstacles for use in patrol work.
California cops prefer the Ford F-150 Lightning, citing better space, easier maintenance, and more vendor options.
Police officers across the nation are dealing with a change. Dodge ended production of the last-gen Charger late last year. A replacement isn’t readily available either and several municipalities are looking at electric vehicles as a potential replacement. For some though, the Tesla Model 3 is far from the perfect pursuit vehicle. Instead, they are relying on the Ford F-150 Lightning.
No single vehicle is absolutely perfect for police work, but some certainly perform better than others. A recent trio of interviews with department chiefs from northern California shed some light on what officers think of the available electric vehicle options.
Speaking to SF Gate about using a Tesla Model 3, Ukiah Police Department Chief Cedric Crook complained that they’re expensive to outfit, hard to charge due to a lack of infrastructure, and that they’re not big enough. Rather than spacious enough for two prisoners, they can only move one at a time in a Model 3.
When High-Tech Becomes a Hassle
“Tesla back seats only have room for one prisoner,” Crook told the Bay Area news site, which could mean more officers and more cars for incidents with multiple suspects, stretching resources thin. Menlo Park Police Department Chief David Norris had more complaints about his Model Y units.
The safety features were tough for officers to navigate and overcome. Because they’re close to the ground, his officers can’t jump curbs and go off-road as easily as they can in other cars. He also complained about the interior space.
Officers decked out in full patrol gear reported that their duty belts and bulletproof vests dug into the passenger seat, “making it nearly unusable.” Furthermore, they found that the so-called ‘smart’ features, such as autopilot and proximity locking, created headaches when shifting into drive or trying to pull over.
A Space Race Tesla Can’t Win
These critiques make sense considering the dramatic difference in passenger volume when comparing the Tesla Model 3 (and even Model Y) to the Dodge Charger. The electric sedan features 97 cubic feet (Model Y = 106 CuFt) whereas the tried and true Dodge offers 120 cubic feet. That’s a lot more space for people and police equipment.
Of course, most people (even those who aren’t die-hard car lovers) can plainly see that the Charger and Model 3 don’t play in the same sedan segment and that has nothing to do with their propulsion type. A police car made out of a Honda Civic, which has 99 cubic feet of passenger volume, would likely suffer the same criticisms.
California’s push to go all-in on zero-emission vehicles by 2035 is just making things more complicated. Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order has forced many municipalities to speed up their EV adoption, but it’s leaving them tangled in logistical nightmares. “The shiny thing is the car; you have to have the charging infrastructure,” Chief Norris told SF Gate, calling out the massive gaps in EV readiness.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning Is The Real MVP
On the flip side, it’s easy to see, based on the critiques of the Model 3, why Fort Bragg Police leveraged the Ford F-150 Lightning. Not only are the Blue Oval’s electric trucks more spacious, but outfitting them and maintaining them is easier in the eyes of Department Chief Neil Cervenka.
“Ford F-150s are the most popular selling trucks in America,” Cervenka pointed out, meaning parts are easy to come by, and plenty of mechanics know how to work on them—even the Lightning model. On the other hand, “Teslas are tricky,” he added, often requiring “a Tesla technician to do a lot of the work. And when they’re in the shop, they’re out of commission for quite a while.”
Cervenka also highlighted another hurdle with Teslas: while there are plenty of nearby vendors to modify an F-150 for police work, the same can’t be said for Teslas. “I would have to transport our vehicles to Southern California, have them outfitted, and then get them transported back, which would be cost prohibitive,” he explained to SF Gate.
Not Everyone’s Giving Up on Tesla
Suffice to say, not all California police departments are as skeptical about Tesla patrol cars. As we reported earlier this summer, the South Pasadena Police Department recently replaced their entire fleet with Model Ys and 3s.
“This initiative not only ensures the safest vehicles for officers and staff but also leads to substantial reductions in both fuel and maintenance costs,” South Pasadena Police Chief Brian Solinsky said at the time. He estimated the switch would save the department around $4,000 a year in fuel alone.
But while Solinsky is confident in those savings, only time will tell if the numbers hold up once the grind of daily patrol duty sets in. Will the charging infrastructure, tech quirks, and space constraints that have frustrated other departments creep in, or will South Pasadena prove Tesla can be the future of police fleets? One thing’s certain—this debate is far from over.
The Future of EV Patrol Fleets
As the EV transition continues, there will no doubt be more options for police departments. We already know that Dodge is set to bring out an electrified Charger Daytona pursuit vehicle—likely the sedan version—which could help fill the gap left by the previous generation, especially if they also offer an ICE-powered variant.
That said, EV skeptics aren’t going anywhere, and neither are the infrastructure challenges that continue to frustrate departments already testing electric patrol cars. The road ahead isn’t as clear as some would like you to believe.
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