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Ford is in the midst of transitioning into an EV company. However, its treatment of dealerships that want to sell EVs has been a cause for concern for US lawmakers.
Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut criticized Ford’s EV certification program, calling it a “horrific treatment” of dealers. He wants to ask the Federal Trade Commission, FTC, and state authorities to investigate the automaker for possible violations of franchise laws.
“I’m convinced there is a case that needs to be investigated here,” Blumenthal said. “I just think Ford is making a mistake here if it continues this way.” (via Auto News)
Besides Blumenthal, a bipartisan group of Connecticut state lawmakers criticized Ford’s program. This criticism was delivered at a press conference that included a high-ranking member of the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association.
The group also called on Ford to extend its Dec. 2 deadline for dealers to join its EV certification program, which dealers can spend up to $1.2 million to qualify for.
However, Ford said it would not extend the deadline a second time. It released a statement saying, “The voluntary program empowers our dealers on when and how to enroll and we understand that some dealers operating in markets with limited EV penetration may choose not to -enroll in this round. For these dealers, Ford is offering a second entry point in 2025 as Ford’s EV production ramps up rapidly. We are confident that we will have enough dealer enrollments for this round to serve our customers across the country.”
Ford has also defended its program, saying it consulted with more than 400 dealers while creating it.
Ford was the second best EV brand in November, behind Tesla, despite reporting a sales decline.
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