I'm a car girl who won’t go back to gasoline
Tip: Window for a free home charger install closing soon
No way will I tell you that you should get an electric car because it’ll save a tree or help with clean air efforts. That’s not convincing to most people.
I drive an electric vehicle because it’s fast and fun and saves big money on gasoline costs. Oh, and I love to wake up every morning all fueled up and ready to go. No trips to the gas station and my fuel costs have dropped by two-thirds.
Why? I just plug into my home charger when I get home.
And I’m not the only one.
This is why Ford Motor Co. launched its Ford Power Promise program, where the company offers to install a home charger for its customers. (An insane deal launched after I purchased my Mustang Mach-E in July 2024. Fortunately, I’m married to a master electrician who purchased and installed everything we needed.)
But the clock is running out.
If you don’t have a home charger, this is your opportunity.
After Ford announced record electric vehicle sales in 2024, Ford extended its complimentary home charger and standard installation through March 31, 2025.
Week after week, I go to business meetings and get questions about driving an electric vehicle. I have zero interest in driving our Jeep Grand Cherokee. My husband prefers to drive the Mach-E. Car shoppers ask me about charging at home. You literally get out of your car and plug it in and that’s that. I charge inside my garage.
So while the debate continues about whether our federal government will invest in public charging stations, a whole lot of people are getting home installation.
Do it for free? ‘I was sold’
Kallie Harnish, 35, an optometrist from Madison, Wis., traded her Toyota RAV4 hybrid for a Mustang Mach-E in October 2024 and said the home installation offer is what closed the deal for her.
“I do own a house but I don’t have an electrician on retainer, so I don’t know who I would call or what questions to ask or where to start to get a home charger,” she told me. “Ford said, ‘We’ll do it for free’, and it was super easy. I was sold. I bought my car and about 48 hours later I got an email from a company Ford works with, asking my address, whether I own or rent, and where the electrical panel was located. Then a couple days later, someone came out to take measurements. Then they came back and installed it. I like that I can be ready to go all the time.”
The national homeownership rate in the U.S. is about 66%, and homeowners are the primary target for this program.
This is Harnish’s first EV experience, she said she definitely has range anxiety, but is learning the nuances of EV ownership. She tracks closely how many miles she gets on her battery. So keeping it charged at home relaxes her. Note: The gas gauge is replaced by the battery charge reading — how many miles remain and percentage the battery is charged.
“My brother and dad are both Tesla owners, and say it’s just so easy being able to plug in at home,” Harnish said. “I mean, it’s stupid cold in Wisconsin right now so not having to stand at the gas pump in 18 degrees has been nice.”
‘I save so much money’
Kevin Pubien, 33, a tech support executive from West Palm Beach, Fla., traded his Tesla Model 3 car for a Mustang Mach-E. He also owns a Tesla Model Y SUV.
“The Tesla Model 3 got me into the EV world. I loved having an EV so much but having just a Tesla started to get boring,” Pubien said. “I already had a charger installed in my home, so I got a discount on my vehicle from Ford. Going to the gas station has become foreign to me. And I save so much money having an EV. You don’t worry about oil changes or anything.”
Passing the word when you know what it’s like
Sergio Rodriguez, 44, a military contractor who lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, owns six electric vehicles including a Mustang Mach-E, a Chevy Silverado and Tesla Cybertruck. He loves the range of the Chevy and has had significant problems with the Cybertruck.
“I enjoy the different technology,” he said. “It’s like an addiction.”
While he long ago installed a charger at home, he has been spreading the gospel.
A friend of Rodriguez learned about the Ford Promise installation deal and went out and bought a Mach-E because he couldn’t resist the offer. “He bought Vapor Blue.”
Few buyers return to the gas station
Ford CEO Jim Farley said during an earnings call with investors last month: “EVs are 8% of the U.S. industry. They’re growing. The satisfaction with the vehicles is higher than combustion and people who buy these vehicles don’t go back to combustion, for (the) large part.”
Installing a charging station has played a key role in getting people people past their hesitation to try something new.
Martin DeLonis of Northville, senior manager of strategy for the Ford Model e team, was involved in the research that led to the innovative program. “The study was done with customers considering EV adoption. Our purpose was to understand not only who they were but what were the primary barriers, things keeping them from making the purchase. Because EVs aren’t the future, they’re already here.”
Busting up sales records
The biggest stress reducer of moving to electric is the ability to fill up at home with electricity, potentially saving you time and money, said Stacey Ferreira, Ford Power Promise program lead. “At-home charging is a real advantage for many people shopping for a new car. Since we introduced Ford Power promise, we’ve seen an increase in customers coming through the door and choosing electric vehicles. This is reflected in record Q4 (4th quarter) electric vehicles sales, which continued in January.
Ford sold 5,666 electric vehicles in January, a new January sales record and an increase of 21.2% from a year earlier. The Mustang Mach-E posted its best-ever January sales with 3,529 electric SUVs sold, up 174% over a year ago, Ford noted.
In 2024, the Mustang Mach-E was the No. 2 best-selling electric SUV behind the Tesla Model Y, Ford noted. The F-150 Lightning pickup saw a 7.6% spike in retail sales in January.
Note: I’m a proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Please check out our work here. Just a great mix of political analysis, features from the Heartland.
Have you noticed any uptick in your electric bill from the charging? I have never owned an EV, just regular cars and hybrids.