You can now rent a Ford Mustang Mach-E from your local Ford dealer after the blue oval automaker decided to allow franchise owners to remove the all-electric crossover from their inventory lots and put it in the rental car section.
According to a bulletin sent to dealers seen by the online automotive research website CarsDirect, the change went into effect on January 15 and basically enables franchisees to get the battery-powered Mustang into the Ford Rent-A-Car (FRAC) and Dealer Daily Rental (DDR) programs.
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The Mustang Mach-E goes into the rental car business
Ford dealers have been informed by the American automaker that they can pull the 2023 Mustang Mach-E EVs from inventory and turn them into rental cars, according to a bulletin seen by CarsDirect.
The official wording in the bulletin is that the move will potentially increase the number of EVs in the loaner service and that dealers who have enrolled in the Model e program will have more zero-emissions loaners available for customers.
Ford says in its letter that 2024 Mustang Mach-Es will not be eligible to enroll in the program, leaving just 2023 model-year units. That said, the 2024 Mach-E is nowhere to be seen on the company’s website yet.
There’s also the matter of the somewhat swollen Mustang Mach-E inventory, with national inventory data quoted by CarsDirect saying there may be as many as 17,000 2023 Mach-Es still sitting in dealer lots countrywide.
This, coupled with the fact that Ford is offering a $1,750 “off invoice credit” or “adjustment” on Mach-E Premium and GT trim levels, according to CarsDirect, points to the possibility that the electric crossover is getting access to the rental program so that inventory numbers can go down.
Gallery: 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Last year wasn’t a particularly blockbuster year for Ford’s electron-powered Mustang. Sales went up just 3% compared to 2022, while the F-150 Lightning saw an increase of 55%, and even the E-Transit van’s sales went up 18%.
Production decreased from September to December because of slowing demand, and the fact that the Mach-E is no longer eligible for the $3,750 tax credit might make it harder to sell than before, but we’ll have to wait and see how it all pans out for Ford’s Model Y competitor.
We reached out to Ford for comment and will update this article when we hear back from the American automaker. In the meantime, you can jump to the comments section below to let us know what you think about this strategy shift.
