Ford seeks to spur Mach-E sales with fleet deals, dealership rentals
Ford is instituting big discounts on the Mustang Mach-E for fleet customers, as well as a new program that allows dealers to use inventory as rental cars.
A discount of $7,500 for state and local government customers, as well as certain customers, is available on all new 2024 Mach-E orders received through Apr. 30, reports CarsDirect. The discount, which matches the amount of the federal EV tax credit the Mach-E no longer qualifies for, is reportedly aimed at spurring sales.
2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
Ford made a whopping 150,000 Mustang Mach-E models in less than two years. But since then there are plenty of indications that demand has slowed. Price hikes may have had something to do with that, but Ford eased those last year.
And for dealers with unsold Mach-E inventory already on their lots, Ford is allowing any leftover 2023 models to be used as rental cars. The program seems aimed at increasing the number of loaner vehicles available to customers who bring their cars into dealerships for servicing.
2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
This seems like a somewhat different model from the traditional rental model of companies like Hertz, which slowed its embrace of EVs recently, citing higher costs in several respects. Hertz’s initial EV purchases were mostly from Tesla, with some Polestar vehicles thrown in as well.
In addition to new incentives, the 2024 Mustang Mach-E also gains new performance variants. The 2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally was shown late last year, while a special version of the Mach-E GT with even quicker acceleration will debut at a later date. These new models will likely sell in low volumes, but they could help stir up more general interest in Ford’s electric crossover from car shoppers.
