By Ken Williams
Ford Power Promise is helping customers save time and money nationwide. In just ten months, over 12,000 customers have received complimentary home chargers and standard installation in driveways across all 50 states. That’s equivalent to a third of the number of Tesla Superchargers in North America.
Dealership Perspective: The Value of Home Charging
We're particularly encouraged by customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia who are opting for the complimentary home charger and standard installation instead of the $500 cash alternative at significantly higher rates, underscoring the clear value of home charging in states where charging infrastructure is still growing.
Digging into what’s happening in Tennessee reveals why simply charging at home matters for areas with fewer charging options.
Matthew Barker, vice president of Two Rivers Ford, located 25 minutes east of Nashville, whose dealership has sold the second-highest number of Ford electric vehicles in Tennessee since the inception of the Ford Power Promise, says, “Public DC fast chargers are still sparse [in this region] and Level 2 chargers at workplaces aren’t common, so long commutes from suburban or rural homes make ‘topping-off at work’ unrealistic,” said Barker. “Plugging in overnight isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a critical part of making the experience seamless in this region.”
In our BlueOval™ Charge Network - which is the largest integrated public charging network that gives you access to public charging networks from Electrify America, Tesla Superchargers, EVGo, and ChargePoint among others - you are likely within 26 miles of a DC fast charger in the BlueOval Charge Network (and rarely more than 34 miles) when driving on a highway in the U.S.1 But these chargers are typically only needed for longer trips once a customer has access to home charging.
Barker says Ford Power Promise is the ultimate deal closer because knowing that you can fill up at home helps reduce range anxiety the moment shoppers walk in, “This region is kind of easing into electric vehicle ownership, and there's a lot more sense of security and less range anxiety when people know that they can plug in and do most of their charging at home and then wake up the next morning and make the commute.”
He says Ford Power Promise answers the number one question: "How will I charge?" It also removes a $1,500-plus hurdle that might have pushed buyers back to a gas vehicle. The added benefit that customers then realize after purchase is that having a home charger could also help save them time and money.
Going Electric in Lebanon, Tennessee
Mike Sloan, a sales associate that's sold cars for 30 years, nine of which have been at Two Rivers Ford in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, is an electric vehicle convert and an owner of two F-150 Lightning trucks.
Sloan said he’s always needed a truck. When he found out Ford was bringing out an electric F-150, it was a no-brainer, “I live in Lebanon [Tennessee] and work in Mount Juliet, and I have a farm. I've got 50 acres filled with cows. I have to have a truck. I've always had a truck, and it used to cost a lot for gas driving back and forth to work. So, when the Ford said, ‘Hey, I'm gonna have a truck that's all electric.’ I jumped in with both feet and it's been great.”
Before the Ford Power Promise charger and installation promotion, he had a charger installed in his garage:
“I tell customers I have a gas station at home. I wake up full, every day.”
For Mike, the F-150 Lightning is as much a work tool as a truck—hauling feed, towing livestock, running fences. Reliable home charging keeps it ready.
“I've got to get cattle fed. I’ve got to carry cows to sale. And I've got, you know, put fencing around the farm. So there's a lot of stuff that the vehicle helps me do, with all the onboard access for power...where I can hook up my trailer or hook the generator up and go pump up a tire, or whatever I need. It's just convenient for me to have an electric vehicle and the ability that it offers outside of just driving.”
When Ford later offered a complimentary charger and installation for his second F-150 Lightning through Ford Power Promise, he gave the charging station to his son—another F-150 Lightning convert, who had it installed on his own.
Powering Electric Vehicle Adoption Across America
85% of electric vehicle owners typically fill up at home just as they’d charge a phone at night, according to IPSOS2. Thanks to Ford Power Promise, we know customers who take advantage of the complimentary home charger and installation3 are charging at home the majority of the time, nearly 90% of the time in Hawaii, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska, according to Ford internal data.
By putting home chargers in garages across all 50 states, the Ford Power Promise is helping customers save time and money one driveway at a time. This success underscores Ford's commitment to helping our customers have the best possible ownership experience.
Have you taken advantage of the Ford Power Promise or have you heard a great customer story about the Ford Power Promise? Share it with us on go.ford/EVStory!
For more details on the Ford Power Promise, including eligibility and program specifics, please check out our fact sheet here.
Ken Williams is director of charging and energy services customer experience at Ford.