Car company Ford is planning to make some changes in its EV charging system by offering a free home charger. The automaker will even send out their automobile technicians to install it at no cost to the owner if they buy or lease a retail Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning or E-Transit between 1 October and 2 January.
However, Ford may opt to extend the program if it proves successful. (Ford Pro fleet customers will get a US$ 2,000 commercial charging cash incentive instead.)
According to Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal, those who take up the offer will get a Level 2 charger at home. This should save Ford EV buyers and lessees a pretty penny, since the Ford Charge Station Pro costs US$ 1,310 and the company typically charges US$ 2,000 for installation. Still, those who want to take up the deal may need to make sure their garage is wired up properly to fully take advantage of Level 2 charging.
The EV side of Ford's business has been struggling as of late — the company expects that division to lose as much as US$ 5.5 billion this year. In January, it cut production of the F-150 Lightning due to lower than expected demand and shifted resources to make more Broncos and Rangers.
A few months later, the company delayed some EV models, including a planned three-row SUV, and placed more focus on hybrids. However, in August, the automaker killed the three-row SUV project entirely while further delaying some other EVs.
Incentivizing EV purchases and leases with a free home charger and installation is smart and it could pay off for Ford. However, it may turn out to be little more than a Band-Aid for the division's deeper-set problems.
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