Ford triples dealerships certified to sell EVs, plug-in hybrids

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. said it has tripled the number of dealerships it has certified to sell its growing fleet of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

More than 200 dealers in about 25 states are now certified to sell the vehicles, which now include the Focus Electric electric vehicle and the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, Ford said in a statement today. The Focus Electric went on retail sale in May this year. The C-Max Energi has just begun shipping to certified dealerships, as part of its limited rollout.

Ford is in the process of certifying an additional 700 dealerships to sell electrified vehicles. Those who qualify will be ready to open after Jan. 1, when a third vehicle joins the fleet: the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid sedan. By then the electrified network will include dealers in all 50 states, a Ford spokesman said.

Ford said the number of dealers applying for certification far exceeded their original estimate of about 350 nationwide.

Ford started the certification process last spring with 67 dealerships in three states -- New York, New Jersey and California -- authorized to sell the Focus Electric.

To become certified to sell the plug-in vehicles, dealers must:

• Install two 240-volt charging stations, one in the public parking area and the other in the service area;
• Have at least one Focus Electric and C-Max Energi on hand for demonstrations;
• Confirm that 80 percent of sales consultants, sales managers, service advisers and service managers have passed training requirements;
• Have point-of-purchase display materials in showrooms; and
• Participate in Ford’s Go Green Dealer Onsite Facility Assessment to identify opportunities to operate more efficiently and reduce the store’s carbon footprint.

Production of the C-Max Energi began in October at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich.