What value do you think dealerships provide?
Also, I predict Ford is going to experience some legal difficulties with this. States govern the operation of dealerships, including pricing regulations, and they are not uniform. The dealers themselves are not powerless either, some being large, well heeled enterprises and associations that have fought and won against manufacturers.
While it is true that Tesla has managed to operate under a double standard, I suspect the entry of traditional manufacturers and dealerships into the all electric market will lead to some resolutions of that. That story is still being written.
Assuming it's an option. The Ford electric company could go the same route as Tesla and dealerships would have the same recourse they have now against Tesla, because it's a new company.
They can try. Unlike Tesla there is a vast number of incumbent Ford dealers with the political pull and legal resources within their states to contest such a scheme.
With EVs and the current semiconductor shortage, batteries/semis are in short supply and so production volumes are lower than demand, so there isn't a use case for dealerships that's apparent.
Once EVs mature and excess inventory builds up and has to sit on the books of the automakers and depreciate on the lot waiting for buyers - the dealership model will look more interesting. The bean counters will then team up with marketing department to (re)introduce independent dealerships under a different branded customer UX name.
[1] Chrysler adds dealer incentives to clear stock https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna12691116
I don’t get how people buy a car without trying it
With Tesla, the most you can do is refuse delivery, but you won't get to drive it before you do that...
GP's not wrong, but as someone who only started driving frequently well into my 30s, I've personally never had the "I must kick the tires" mentality -- and Tesla's at-the-time "7-day return policy" helped a lot with concerns about a lemon.
Haven't been disappointed yet. But then, I drive a car for transportation, not for a driving experience.
I just want to know if it will fit a double bass.
That doesn't justify their existence in a world where cross-continent orders over the internet are possible. But historically they've had a real role to play.