Ford going 100% online for EV sales

[CyberGus]

It's not, but would you rather have more of your town devoted to storage of cars or less?

-Crissa

I expect the free market to determine the “correct” amount. Unfortunately, franchise laws and the dealer lobby have conspired to limit both the free market and the democratic process in this regard.

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[Crissa]

I expect the free market to determine the “correct” amount. Unfortunately, franchise laws and the dealer lobby have conspired to limit both the free market and the democratic process in this regard.

The free market's number is economically efficient... to a point. But it may not be efficient for your town or your access to resources.

-Crissa

 

[Cyberman]

Will it actually happen?

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40175990/ford-online-sales-no-negotiation/

Ford Is Going to 100% Online, Fixed-Price Sales For EVs
CEO Jim Farley says direct delivery, zero negotiation, and fully online transactions are necessary for the brand's EV business.
BY MACK HOGAN
JUN 2, 2022

The Ford brand will transition to exclusively online, fixed-price, delivered-to-your-door sales for EVs, CEO Jim Farley said, according to USA Today.

"We've got to go to non-negotiated price. We've got to go 100 percent online. There's no inventory (at dealerships), it goes directly to the customer. And 100 percent remote pick up and delivery," he said during Bernstein's Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, per USA Today.

It's unclear if Ford also plans to implement this sales strategy shift for its non-EV products.

Farley went on to say that he sees the physical locations of dealers as a huge opportunity to push an edge over competitors, but that the current stores will have to radically evolve. Dealers can do it, he said, "but the standards are going to be brutal."

The fixed-price model has been trialed by countless new car dealerships, used car chains, and even manufacturers like Saturn. Yet it was Tesla that showed that a successful automaker could fully rely on fixed-price sales. The EV juggernaut also pioneered an online ordering system that so-called legacy automakers have been struggling to replicate. If Ford wants to be a huge player in this and take advantage of what Farley sees as a historically significant market-share land grab, the company has to adapt to give the customers what they want. Right now, as USA Today notes, Ford estimates that it spends $2000 more than Tesla per car on distribution.

The company also intends to massively scale back advertising for its EVS, another way it has to adapt. "If you ever see Ford Motor Co. doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicles, sell the stock," he said.

For the full breakdown of Farley's remarks, check out the USA Today story which explores post-sales service, the role of the Super Duty and other gas guzzlers, EV profitability, custom cars for Uber and Lyft, Chinese EVs, and "very large consolidation."

Road & Track has reached out to Ford for additional comment and will update this story if we hear back.

Wow, getting rid of stealerships! What a novel idea. How did you come up w/that?

 

[JBee]

Um what now??

I have absolutely no interest in crypto whatsoever.

Are you mistaking me for someone else or are you just a little bit one track minded?

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

As a boomer generation who got bad service from the Big Three, I would never want to wake up my abusive treatment at their dealership sales and, especially, at their service department no matter what how much they claim to have improved. It’s either Tesla or Toyota for my generation.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

Ford without their dealership will still be able to make big time profits by offering extended warranty and nonsense aftermarket treatments that are essentially worthless.

 

[Old Pro]

Will it actually happen?

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40175990/ford-online-sales-no-negotiation/

Ford Is Going to 100% Online, Fixed-Price Sales For EVs
CEO Jim Farley says direct delivery, zero negotiation, and fully online transactions are necessary for the brand's EV business.
BY MACK HOGAN
JUN 2, 2022

The Ford brand will transition to exclusively online, fixed-price, delivered-to-your-door sales for EVs, CEO Jim Farley said, according to USA Today.

"We've got to go to non-negotiated price. We've got to go 100 percent online. There's no inventory (at dealerships), it goes directly to the customer. And 100 percent remote pick up and delivery," he said during Bernstein's Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, per USA Today.

It's unclear if Ford also plans to implement this sales strategy shift for its non-EV products.

Farley went on to say that he sees the physical locations of dealers as a huge opportunity to push an edge over competitors, but that the current stores will have to radically evolve. Dealers can do it, he said, "but the standards are going to be brutal."

The fixed-price model has been trialed by countless new car dealerships, used car chains, and even manufacturers like Saturn. Yet it was Tesla that showed that a successful automaker could fully rely on fixed-price sales. The EV juggernaut also pioneered an online ordering system that so-called legacy automakers have been struggling to replicate. If Ford wants to be a huge player in this and take advantage of what Farley sees as a historically significant market-share land grab, the company has to adapt to give the customers what they want. Right now, as USA Today notes, Ford estimates that it spends $2000 more than Tesla per car on distribution.

The company also intends to massively scale back advertising for its EVS, another way it has to adapt. "If you ever see Ford Motor Co. doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicles, sell the stock," he said.

For the full breakdown of Farley's remarks, check out the USA Today story which explores post-sales service, the role of the Super Duty and other gas guzzlers, EV profitability, custom cars for Uber and Lyft, Chinese EVs, and "very large consolidation."

Road & Track has reached out to Ford for additional comment and will update this story if we hear back.

I'm surprised Ford has figured this out. Who has the time and inclination to deal with the traditional Dealership experience of buying a car? What a circus!

 

[alan auerbach]

Will it actually happen?

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40175990/ford-online-sales-no-negotiation/

Ford Is Going to 100% Online, Fixed-Price Sales For EVs
CEO Jim Farley says direct delivery, zero negotiation, and fully online transactions are necessary for the brand's EV business.
BY MACK HOGAN
JUN 2, 2022

The Ford brand will transition to exclusively online, fixed-price, delivered-to-your-door sales for EVs, CEO Jim Farley said, according to USA Today.

"We've got to go to non-negotiated price. We've got to go 100 percent online. There's no inventory (at dealerships), it goes directly to the customer. And 100 percent remote pick up and delivery," he said during Bernstein's Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, per USA Today.

It's unclear if Ford also plans to implement this sales strategy shift for its non-EV products.

Farley went on to say that he sees the physical locations of dealers as a huge opportunity to push an edge over competitors, but that the current stores will have to radically evolve. Dealers can do it, he said, "but the standards are going to be brutal."

The fixed-price model has been trialed by countless new car dealerships, used car chains, and even manufacturers like Saturn. Yet it was Tesla that showed that a successful automaker could fully rely on fixed-price sales. The EV juggernaut also pioneered an online ordering system that so-called legacy automakers have been struggling to replicate. If Ford wants to be a huge player in this and take advantage of what Farley sees as a historically significant market-share land grab, the company has to adapt to give the customers what they want. Right now, as USA Today notes, Ford estimates that it spends $2000 more than Tesla per car on distribution.

The company also intends to massively scale back advertising for its EVS, another way it has to adapt. "If you ever see Ford Motor Co. doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicles, sell the stock," he said.

For the full breakdown of Farley's remarks, check out the USA Today story which explores post-sales service, the role of the Super Duty and other gas guzzlers, EV profitability, custom cars for Uber and Lyft, Chinese EVs, and "very large consolidation."

Road & Track has reached out to Ford for additional comment and will update this story if we hear back.

We all (unless some readers are dealers) hope this CEO's plan passes, and that other makes will follow suit. But two concerns are that this is one single newspaper's story, and Ford has a history of getting rid of executives. Let's not celebrate until we see what the Texas dealership consortium does.

 

[Dusty]

I'm rootin' for ya Ford!

 

[Qball]

I'm surprised Ford has figured this out. Who has the time and inclination to deal with the traditional Dealership experience of buying a car? What a circus!

Hey, that’s an insult to the good people of circus!

 

[Old Pro]

Doesn't matter anyway with all the "News" about Ford going with online only sales of the F-150 Lightening EV. Reservations are closed! A huge company like Ford can't even put out a reservation system to register interest with a deposit.? I just configured a base F-150 Lightening for my zip code at 92131. $41,769. OK, I'm interested as a backup to my Cybertruck reservation. Take my $100 already! A lot of hooey about nothing. Online ordering and circumventing going to a dealership is the ONLY reason I may be interested.

 

[charliemagpie]

That dealer pricing is proof of ossification.

Some king of the castle type who is accustomed to the status quo of 100 years, giving the finger to authority trying to tell him what to do.

He is saying… “Hey, if I don't make the ongoing maintenance money, I am just going to charge it upfront. “

That will last !!!

 

[Ogre]

Auto sales from legacy auto makers have declined every year since 2017 and show little signs of recovery.

Dealers are a significant piece of this.

 

[Old Pro]

Will it actually happen?

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40175990/ford-online-sales-no-negotiation/

Ford Is Going to 100% Online, Fixed-Price Sales For EVs
CEO Jim Farley says direct delivery, zero negotiation, and fully online transactions are necessary for the brand's EV business.
BY MACK HOGAN
JUN 2, 2022

The Ford brand will transition to exclusively online, fixed-price, delivered-to-your-door sales for EVs, CEO Jim Farley said, according to USA Today.

"We've got to go to non-negotiated price. We've got to go 100 percent online. There's no inventory (at dealerships), it goes directly to the customer. And 100 percent remote pick up and delivery," he said during Bernstein's Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, per USA Today.

It's unclear if Ford also plans to implement this sales strategy shift for its non-EV products.

Farley went on to say that he sees the physical locations of dealers as a huge opportunity to push an edge over competitors, but that the current stores will have to radically evolve. Dealers can do it, he said, "but the standards are going to be brutal."

The fixed-price model has been trialed by countless new car dealerships, used car chains, and even manufacturers like Saturn. Yet it was Tesla that showed that a successful automaker could fully rely on fixed-price sales. The EV juggernaut also pioneered an online ordering system that so-called legacy automakers have been struggling to replicate. If Ford wants to be a huge player in this and take advantage of what Farley sees as a historically significant market-share land grab, the company has to adapt to give the customers what they want. Right now, as USA Today notes, Ford estimates that it spends $2000 more than Tesla per car on distribution.

The company also intends to massively scale back advertising for its EVS, another way it has to adapt. "If you ever see Ford Motor Co. doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicles, sell the stock," he said.

For the full breakdown of Farley's remarks, check out the USA Today story which explores post-sales service, the role of the Super Duty and other gas guzzlers, EV profitability, custom cars for Uber and Lyft, Chinese EVs, and "very large consolidation."

Road & Track has reached out to Ford for additional comment and will update this story if we hear back.

Yeah? Like when?

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