As sales of its electric vehicles (EVs) continue to stall, Ford Motor Company is hoping to spark interest among consumers by offering free at-home charging stations.
"Auto shoppers say they're more likely to buy an electric vehicle if they could fill up at home," Ford CEO Jim Farley wrote in a post on social platform X. "So we're going to make it easy for our customers."
"If you buy or lease a new Ford electric vehicle, we'll include a complimentary home charger. This is part of something we're calling the Ford Power Promise, which is about giving our electric vehicle customers convenience, peace of mind and expert service."
Customers buying or leasing a Ford EV in the fourth quarter will receive a free at-home charging station, which includes installation. If the offer does well, Farley said it could be extended.
Despite billions of dollars in investment and incentives from the Biden-Harris administration, U.S. automakers have struggled to interest Americans in electric vehicles, and Ford is no exception.
According to Inside EVs, Ford experienced a slight uptick in all-electric vehicle sales in July, from 3.8% a year ago to 5%.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that combined U.S. sales of hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and battery electric vehicles increased from 17.8% of total new light-duty vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2024 to 18.7% in the second quarter, with the slight increase driven primarily by hybrid EV sales. Battery electric vehicles made up just 7.1% of total new light-duty vehicle sales in the second quarter.
Farley recently told The Wall Street Journal that the prospect of cheap Chinese EVs flooding the U.S. market is the "biggest threat" Ford and its employees face.
As he continues his bid for a second White House term, former President Donald Trump has pledged to stop U.S. manufacturers from shipping jobs overseas by putting a 100% tariff on every car coming into the U.S. from Mexico.
"We're putting America first," Trump said. "This new American industrialism will create millions and millions of jobs."