Of course, Ford wants to sell more trucks. The F-150 has been the most popular truck for decades. However, Ford F-150 Lightning models don’t have nearly the same amount of success. That’s why Ford is paying dealers to sell more models. 

Ford pays dealerships to sell F-150 Lightning models 

According to QZ, Ford is providing dealerships with a new incentive to sell more Ford F-150 Lightning models. Ford is offering up to $22,500 for dealers to help clear out its Retail Replenishment Centers (RRC). 

Last week, Ford told dealerships that they will get $1,000 every time an F-150 Lightning is added to its inventory from an RRC.

If a dealer adds over nine electric trucks to its inventory then the bonus jumps up to $1,500 per model. Dealers aren’t required to order all of the trucks at once to gain access to the higher bonus. 

Plus, they don’t need all 10 trucks at once to get paid more. If they add the 10th model by November 15, then they’ll get the extra cash. Ford is capping this incentive at 15 trucks, so each dealership can earn up to $22,500 for trying to sell more Lightning trucks. 

The Ford Retail Replenishment Centers are basically electric vehicle warehouses that allow dealerships to quickly add more inventory as needed. 

It helps move inventory at a faster rate without risking a massive collection of unsold inventory. The RRCs deliver new models in an average of seven days.

In 2023, about 24,000 F-150 Lightning models were sold. This fell short of the 150,000 annual production goal. During the first half of 2024, the Lightning moved about 15,645 models. 

However, the Ford F-150 sold 750,789 trucks in 2023. So far in 2024, the F-150 has sold 619,827 models. The gap between gas-powered and electric trucks makes it feel impossible to catch up. But the F-150 Lightning will continue to try.