Ford launches EV incentives to win over buyers with new Puma
Ford UK believes the launch of the new Puma Electric can prompt buyers of its existing vehicles to make the switch to electric, and is launching a new range of incentives to help buyers do so.
The manufacturer has launched a new Power Promise, giving every buyer of one of its EVs a free home charger with home energy credit from Octopus Energy to cover up to 10,000 miles. That adds to a free five-year service plan including EV towing, and an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty for the battery and high-voltage components.
Ford currently offers the Mustang Mach-E, Explorer and Capri EVs, which are all bespoke electric cars. But the arrival of an EV version of the smaller Puma – Britain's best-selling vehicle – is key for the brand's ambition to grow its EV sales.
Catherine Blee, Ford UK's passenger vehicles sales boss, said: 'The Puma has been the best-selling vehicle in the UK for several years, and we have customers who really love that car that have been waiting for an electrified version. There are also some of our Fiesta customers who have been waiting for this vehicle.
'Our dealers are really excited: they think this is the game-changer for them in terms of EVs. For some buyers the upfront cost [of going electric] can be a deterrent, but when you can charge at home the total cost of ownership story is really compelling. So with this new scheme we think we can tap into a group of customers by providing a real benefit.'
The Power Promise is similar to schemes offered by other manufacturers, and Blee said it was developed based on both customer feedback and a survey that showed 25% of people were put off by the complexity of switching to an EV.
'From a customer perspective, having a really compelling offer will help overcome some of those perceived barriers to entry, such as the cost of a wallbox and how to get it installed,' she said. 'There are so many anxieties and concerns driven by the myths that are out there, so we want to help people thinking about making the move, and hopefully win over some doubters.'
Blee said that the new initiative would run in conjunction with recent efforts to work with dealers to better explain concepts of the total cost of EV ownership.
'We know that the next wave of EV customers, the early majority that come after early adopters, are really data-driven individuals, so we can persuade them with a total cost of ownership story,' said Blee. 'We're talking to dealers to give them the tools to explain that to customers. We're also working on dialling up test drive opportunities, because we know once people get in a test drive of an EV they're really surprised by how well It drives and how easy it is to switch.
'We've gone from having just the Mustang Mach-E to having four EVs in dealerships, so we've done a lot of work. We've been able to make sure we have the right training in place to support dealers with the knowledge that they need, which helps them assist customers in making the right decisions.'
While the deal is largely focused around the free charger, people who don't want one – or can't have one installed – will instead receive £500 in credit. The firm is also ramping up efforts to promote its virtual Blue Oval Charging Network, which gives access to around 33,000 public chargers through Ford's app.
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