About 83 per cent of Ford sellers in Canada have enrolled within the automaker’s controversial Mannequin e electrical car certification packages, though talks between retailers and the corporate will proceed till not less than the top of March.

In response, Ford will supply sellers an annual 30-day enrolment interval, “as they might see EV demand of their markets develop,” mentioned firm spokeswoman Megan Joakim.

Beforehand, sellers who selected to not enroll in the course of the preliminary part needed to wait till 2027 to hitch the packages.

‘SMALL VOLUME EXCEPTION’

“Ford of Canada is dedicated to persevering with to work intently with our sellers to ship the Mannequin e program and to working collectively to judge particular person circumstances,” mentioned Joakim. “For instance, Mannequin e Licensed sellers with very low [EV] gross sales volumes will likely be eligible for a ‘Small Quantity Exception,’ permitting them to defer the set up of their Stage 3 charger, supplied they’re in any other case absolutely assembly the Licensed requirements.”

And, in small markets the place preliminary EV demand is predicted to be restricted, Mannequin e sellers will likely be allowed to have not less than one public-facing DC quick charger accessible on the Blue Oval Cost Community, mentioned Joakim.

The community consists of greater than 20,500 stations throughout North America.

Discussions on the Mannequin e program started within the spring of 2022 and sellers initially had a Dec. 16 deadline to enroll at estimated prices of $1.3 million for Licensed Elite and $560,000 for Licensed. Elite supplied sellers full entry to gross sales and repair of Ford EVs whereas Licensed affords “full-service functionality, restricted gross sales and a decrease funding price,” Ford mentioned in an announcement.

The payment is for charging-station installations, technician coaching and specialised service tools.

THREE DEADLINE EXTENSIONS

After resistance from an undisclosed variety of sellers — together with retaining Toronto lawyer Shaun Laubman — the Dec. 16 deadline was pushed to Dec. 31, then Jan. 31, 2023, then Feb. 24.

Sellers opposed to creating the required investments have cited sluggish EV gross sales, notably in rural areas.

After the Feb. 24 deadline, Ford introduced that 338 sellers — 83 per cent — had signed onto this system, with 226 choosing Elite and 112 selecting Licensed.

“We’re happy to see that the enrolled sellers will present a strong nationwide community that may higher serve our current and future EV clients,” Joakim mentioned in an e mail. “Ford of Canada is dedicated to persevering with to work intently with our sellers to ship the Mannequin e program as we think about our vendor community to be a aggressive benefit as we play to win within the BEV house.”

Citing ongoing discussions, Scott Campbell, vendor principal of Mid-City Ford in Winnipeg, and a director of the Ford Seller Roundtable Affiliation, which has been concerned within the negotiations, declined remark.

“As we’re nonetheless in energetic discussions, I’m not at a consolation stage to debate what transpired and the way we obtained to the 83 per cent enrolment stage till we end the discussions,” Campbell wrote in an e mail. “We’re assembly face-to-face on the finish of March to have some extra discussions.”

Steve Chipman, president of Birchwood Automotive Group, which owns 4 Ford dealerships together with Winnipeg’s Birchwood Ford, largely deferred feedback to Campbell however did strike an optimistic observe.

DIFFERENT STORES, DIFFERENT PLANS

“The priority was actually for the smaller sellers,” he mentioned. “Ford needed to pay attention and be extra versatile, and for my part they had been.”

Chipman’s three different Ford shops are in smaller centres. Earlier than the Feb. 24 deadline, Chipman mentioned he was ready for ultimate particulars to decide. After the deadline handed, he mentioned Birchwood Ford had enrolled.

Calgary’s Marlborough Ford has additionally signed up for the Elite certification, managing associate Brent Walker mentioned. He mentioned it was at all times within the plans, given building on the dealership’s new location in northeast Calgary, however “if we weren’t constructing a brand new retailer, I don’t consider we’d be investing that type of cash.”