Some 356 Lincoln dealers sign up to sell EVs under new standards

Roughly 60% of Lincoln dealers have opted into a new set of standards required to sell electric vehicles, Ford Motor Co.’s luxury brand confirmed Friday.

Lincoln reported that 356 retailers enrolled in the voluntary certification program, representing 60% of Lincoln stores in the U.S. with 90% of stores in the top 130 luxury markets in the U.S.

“This gives Lincoln a robust network of retailers who have agreed to take the necessary steps to prepare for our brand’s transition towards electrification and better serve our future EV clients,” Lincoln spokesperson Anika Salceda-Wycoco said in a statement.

For dealers that opted into the program this time around, their enrollment will be effective Jan. 1, 2025. Another enrollment window will open up in 2026 for dealers that want to participate starting in 2027.

The program overlaps but is separate from EV standards for the Ford brand, which garnered participation from about two-thirds of the Blue Oval’s U.S. dealer network.

Similar to the Ford brand program, the Lincoln EV 2.0 certification program allows dealers to sell and service the brand’s future EVs if they make certain investments and meet the program’s standards.

Lincoln does not yet have any EVs on the market, but has showcased two concept vehicles that offer a glimpse at the brand’s vision for the age of electrification. The brand previously has said it will have three electric models by 2025.

“Lincoln plans to offer a full portfolio of electrified vehicles and will make the transition over time,” Salceda-Wycoco said. “We’ll share more specific details and timing at a future date.”

The program is centered on five areas, according to Lincoln: “right people,” including a single point of contact; technology, including an upgraded brand website; remote experiences; transparent transactions, including non-negotiable pricing; and EV infrastructure, including same-day service on electric vehicles and “charging with a minimum DC fast charging and Level 2 charging requirements based on the retailer category.”