Ford is targeting electric fence builders by offering a free home charger and installation

For customers still unsure if they're ready to switch to an all-electric vehicle, Ford is sweetening the price.

Today the company launched a new initiative called Ford Power Promise, offering a range of benefits to customers who buy or lease a new electric vehicle. And the most important of these is a free home charger for all new customers, as well as the cost of standard installation.

The charger on offer is the company's Ford Charge Station Pro, a $1,310 Level 2 charger that comes with a standard CCS1 port. Ford declined to provide a monetary value for the installation, but said it would cover the cost of up to 60 amps of power and 80 feet of cable run. However, customers who need to upgrade their home's electrical system before installation must cover these costs themselves.

Ford's free charger and installation offer begins October 1 and runs through the end of the year. It is only available to customers who purchase or lease a new electric vehicle during this period. For customers who purchase or lease a new electric vehicle but already have a home charger, Ford will provide them the equivalent of $2,000 in cash.

“We’re the only ones doing this,” said Becca Anderson, senior director of customer experience for Ford’s Model E division. “This means less stress and greater convenience for our customers by making it easier to set up their charging station at home.”

Like most automakers, Ford is struggling to get more customers to consider switching to electric cars. Although the company is the second-largest seller of electric vehicles in the U.S. after Tesla and its electric vehicle sales continue to grow, the company still faces a lot of headwinds in the form of myths and misconceptions about electric vehicle ownership.

“We have a lot of customers who are open to electric power,” said Martin Delonis, senior manager of strategy at Ford Model e, “but they’re still on the fence.”

According to market research from Ford and the Boston Consulting Group, these so-called “fence sitters” say they are concerned about things like electric vehicle range, battery health and total cost of ownership. But they are also motivated by “quality and convenience,” which then suits gasoline and hybrid buyers more than early adopters.

“We did the research and found that it’s not range anxiety,” Delonis added. “It’s fear of change.”

Most customers overestimate the range required of a vehicle and often do not realize the benefits of charging at home. They assume that they will have to use public chargers more often than before. And they incorrectly assume that the battery will wear out before the end of the vehicle's lifespan.

To address their concerns, Ford is upping the ante with new benefits, like a free home charger, and some old benefits that customers may not be aware of. Ford said it will now offer 24/7 call and text support for all electric vehicle owners who may have questions or concerns about their new purchase. The company also points out an existing eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the vehicle's battery.

And to address the discomfort around charging, Ford is emphasizing its Blue Oval Charging Network, which includes a number of third-party charging providers as well as the Tesla Supercharger network. Ford is committed to providing Tesla adapters to its electric vehicle customers so they can have access to superchargers nationwide. Ford is “increasing production” of the adapters after some initial delays over the summer, Delonis said.

While Ford has increased its electric vehicle sales quarter over quarter, the company is still struggling to contain costs. The company reported a loss of $1.3 billion for its Model e-EV division in the first quarter of 2024 and a loss of $1.1 billion in the second quarter. In addition, a planned three-row electric SUV was canceled and a new electric truck was postponed to 2027.