Lincoln Dealers Will Have to Spend Nearly $1 Million on Upgrades to Sell EVs
Image: Lincoln
Lincoln dealers that are on board with the brand’s EV plans face a hefty upgrade bill. Automotive News reports that Lincoln dealers wanting to sell the brand’s EVs will have to drop $900,000 on upgrades to their dealerships.
Despite EV plans that still aren’t quite clear and a business strategy that shows that China is its priority, Lincoln says the EVs are coming. But they’re still three years out, with three models supposedly hitting showrooms in 2025. Despite this, Lincoln wants dealer owners to start getting ready for these vehicles. According to brand executives, it’s no biggie that they actually don’t have the vehicles to sell now: “…executives say they need to prepare now to woo younger buyers who its research shows are open to luxury EVs.” But you actually have to have EVs to sell for people to be wooed by them… anyway.
The plans were unveiled earlier this month by Ford CEO Jim Farley at a dealer meeting in Las Vegas. Lincoln’s EV dealer plans are similar to Ford’s but differ in that Lincoln is dividing up EV investment by store volume and local market size. So only dealers in the top 130 markets, of which Lincoln says it has 252 dealers, must invest the $900,000 for two DC fast chargers and seven level 2 chargers. Dealers in smaller market areas, of which there are 400, have to invest half a million dollars for four level 2 chargers and one DC fast charger. Lincoln is dangling a treat to get dealers to invest by saying that dealers that make the required investment will get to sell unlimited EVs.
Dealers that feature both Ford and Lincoln stores have it slightly worse. They have to make their EV investments separately. Remember, Ford dealers have to drop $1.2 million to upgrade their dealerships, meaning a Ford/Lincoln dealer will have to spend a total of over $2 million if it wants to sell EVs from both brands.
Dealers have until December 15 to make the decision on the investments. If they don’t, they have to wait until the next enrollment period in late 2026.
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While the brand has no EVs to sell, it does have plug-in hybrids in the form of the Corsair and Aviator plug-in hybrids. Sales of these in some areas are strong enough that it’s encouraging some dealers to have a wait-and-see attitude. Like the general manager of Lincoln of Wayne New Jersey Peter Spina Jr., who said, “Although we don’t have a vehicle on the ground, we know they’re coming. I think you have to do it in this way. I don’t think you can bring the vehicles out and then try to chase the infrastructure.” Good luck sir.
