Ford is offering free home chargers and installation for EV buyers in groundbreaking industry first

Ford is attempting to entice more customers to switch over to electric vehicles by offering free home charges and installation until the end of the year.

As we start to transition away from the internal combustion engine (ICE) era, it is becoming clear that we still have a long way to go before electric vehicles truly take over.

All of the major brands are making big moves in the EV department, and the space is also brimming with upstarts looking to challenge the status quo.

However, even the most recognizable marques still need to think outside of the box to get people to make the change.

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That’s why Ford – one of the biggest and best car brands in history – is making a generous offer to anyone willing to take the plunge and give up the gas guzzler.

Earlier this week, Ford announced that it is to start offering free home chargers and installation to anyone who buys an electric vehicle from them until the close of 2024.

It’s the first time such a deal has been offered and – Ford will hope – it could turn the tide in their favor.

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Ford CEO Jim Farley explained: “There’s no bigger obstacle than charging.”

Ford appeals to new EV customers with home charger offer

This deal applies to any customer who buys or leases a Ford Mustang Mach-E – which recently broke a range record – F-150 Lightning pick-up truck, or an E-Transit Cargo van between October 1 2024 and the end of the year.

Farley came to this realization after taking two trips across Europe and the Western USA and realizing that – if EVs are ever to be a success – people need regular access to charging points.

While charging access across the USA has drastically improved, there is a lot of work to be done before the infrastructure is where it needs to be.
What better place to have them than right where you live, and where the car spends the most time parked up – at the customers’ homes.

He added: “We spend all this time in the industry talking about charging on the road, and yet we kind of overlooked the most basic charging solution for America.”

Obviously, a project as adventurous as this will cost plenty of money, and while Farley didn’t say exactly how much they reckon it will take, Marin Gjaja – the chief operating officer of Ford’s EV division – said that the company believes it can ‘contain it within [its] existing financials.’

Ford customers who already have a home charger or live in an apartment will be eligible for a $2,000 cash equivalent from dealers, the brand added.

Ford’s EV sales are on the up, but still behind Tesla

In the first half of 2024, Ford sold some 44,000 electric vehicles – a 72% uptick on the previous year.

That means that it is the second biggest electric car company in the USA, behind – you’ve guessed it – Tesla.

In that time, Tesla sold 831,000 cars, so there’s a way to go for Ford to bridge that gap.

However, with the market shifting ever towards electricity, don’t rule out more initiatives like this one.