• Lincoln has told its dealers to make a choice: invest in electrification or dissociate themselves from the brand.
• The required investments will range from $500,000 to $900,000 USD, depending on the size of the market where the dealership is located.
• Ford had issued a similar ultimatum to its dealers.
• Lincoln is expected to complete its all-electric shift by 2026.
We saw it with Cadillac and Buick, and now it's Lincoln's turn to give its dealers an ultimatum. As part of what is in effect an ‘Invest or Go’ demand, dealers are being told they’ll need to get onboard with investing in an update of their facilities and manpower to sell electric vehicles, or else end their association with the brand.
The details of the request, which appears similar to parent company Ford told its dealers, were first reported by the Automotive News site. A Lincoln spokesperson subsequently confirmed the request to Motor Authority.
Specifically, Ford's luxury brand is offering its dealers the opportunity to sign up for one of two upgrade programs based on their market size. Dealers classed among the top 130 in the brand’s network will have to invest some $900,000 to upgrade. For the others, the upgrade will cost about $500,000.
Some of the money will be required for charging infrastructure, including fast DC and Level 2 charging stations. The number of stations to be installed will depend on the size of the dealership.
Dealers will also have to agree to a non-negotiable pricing policy, a simplified sales process for customers and a greater online presence for sales and service.
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Lincoln does not yet an EV in its lineup, of course, though the first is set to be introduced later this year. It's expected to be an all-electric version of the Aviator. Four more full-on EVs are scheduled to launch by 2026, including a battery-powered version of the Navigator. Lincoln hopes to have completed its transformation by that year, as mentioned.
It must be said that with only four models currently in its lineup, Lincoln can afford to move more quickly.
Now eyes will be peeled on what kind of sign-up rate Lincoln sees from its dealers. Over at Cadillac, about a third of the existing dealers decided to end their association with the brand rather than retrofit to sell EVs.