Ford to give away free charging units to new EV buyers

Driving the news: The automaker announced Monday that anyone who buys or leases a new Ford EV during the fourth quarter will qualify for a free EV charging unit and home installation through the Ford Power Promise program.

• Ford CEO Jim Farley tells Axios that if the offer is well received, the company will likely extend it.

"I obviously never had the chance to talk to Mr. Ford, but I can imagine that when he launched the Model T, he would have loved to have included a gas station for every customer," Farley said in an interview, referencing founder Henry Ford.

• Farley acknowledged there's a cost to Ford but did not specify how much the company expects it to be.

The big picture: Ford executives said the offer is a response to the fact that many prospective purchasers find the process of buying and installing a home EV charging unit intimidating and laborious.

• The typical new-EV buyer spends two to three months acquiring a unit and hiring an electrician, according to Ford.
• "This means less stress and more convenience for our customers," Becca Anderson, senior director of customer success for Ford's Model e division, said on a media call.

How it works: The offer goes from Oct. 1 to Jan. 2 and includes a free Level 2 charger, free installation arranged by Ford, access to 24-7 customer support and roadside assistance in case drivers run out of charge.

• Buyers who already have a charging unit can take $2,000 in cash instead.
• "If this works, we'll no doubt extend it, but we have to prove ourselves it works," Farley said.

The bottom line: "Charging anxiety" is "one of the biggest obstacles for adopting" EVs, Farley said — and this is a direct attempt to ease those concerns.

• "We found out a long time ago that just lowering the price of EVs is not going to solve the problem of adoption," he added.