Ford Is Paying Its Dealers To Order F-150 Lightning EVs. Here’s Why

Ford F-150 Lightning sales more than doubled in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, but the American automaker wants to move even more units. To do so, dealers will have to play ball, whether they like it or not. But Ford has something in store that’s sure to entice franchises: cash.

According to a bulletin sent to dealers seen by Cars Direct , Ford will pay its partners up to $22,500 to order new F-150 Lightning electric trucks from its Retail Replenishment Centers (RRC) which are meant to make distribution easier ahead of a big model year change. Until November 15, Ford will pay dealers across the country $1,000 per unit when ordering an F-150 Lightning from a Retail Replenishment Center and not directly from the factory. If a dealer orders over nine units, the bonus is boosted to $1,500 per EV.



The maximum is 15 units for a bonus of $22,500. The XLT, Flash, Lariat and Platinum trims are eligible for the program, with the Pro notably absent from the list–it’s already the cheapest version of the F-150 Lightning and it’s mostly intended for fleets. Ford said in its letter that the program is meant “to further test the logistics and efficiencies of RRCs and to increase RRC engagement.

” As a reminder, the company’s Retail Replenishment Centers were first detailed last year for dealers who were part of the now-defunct EV certification program . Their main purpose was to reduce the costs of selling EVs for franchise owners, all while giving them an incentive not to stock too many electric cars–fewer cars on the lot means less floor space is needed. Ford’s delivery centers, which are similar to General Motors ’ fulfillment centers, ship EVs to dealers within an average of seven days, according to Mike DeYoung, the automaker’s senior director of sales and advertising, quoted by Automotive News .

It’s worth noting that while dealers may benefit from manufacturer incentives, these won’t necessarily translate into savings for customers, so do your homework before ordering a new F-150 Lightning. That said, Ford is currently offering some pretty sweet deals for the all-electric F-150, such as 0% financing for 60 months and a free home charger, including installation . In the first nine months, Ford sold 22,807 F-150 Lightning EVs, a year-over-year increase of 86%.

Overall, the Detroit-based automaker sold 67,689 electric vehicles from January to September, up 45% from last year’s 46,671 units..