Ford’s Postponed Deadline, Shape Up Or Ship Out, A Year of Meta

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Don’t let the costumes fool ya, we’re here to work this Monday as we talk about Ford’s announcement to delay the deadline for dealers to decide on their EV future. We also talk about Ford’s efforts to part ways with underperformers, as well as what one year of Meta being Meta has gotten us. 

• Today’s deadline Ford originally put in place for Dealers to make a decision whether or not to invest up to $1.2M and follow the standards required to sell EVs has been postponed until Dec 2nd after multiple requests from Dealers according to Ford spokesman Marty Gunsberg
  • There are two tiers of certification. Both require no-negotiation pricing. The lower tier doesn’t allow the Dealer to carry any inventory and carries sales limits
  • Certifications will last from 2024-2026 after which new dealers will be allowed to enter back into the certification process
  • “A group of automotive trade association executives, representing associations in Virginia and 11 other southern states, this week asked Ford to "reconsider the Ford Model e program as it is currently described," saying it "includes unreasonable restrictions on dealer autonomy."
  • TILI: We don’t know the full reasoning, but it likely has to do more with legal action than Ford having a change of heart
    
    
    
• An internal email circulated at Ford reveals the company is actively working to get underperforming workers out of the company. 
  • The Oct 4th email which was sent to all US managers focuses on all employees with 8 or more years with the company and have been identified as showing a pattern of underperformance
  • They will be given the option to voluntarily quit to receive a severance package OR enroll in a 4-6 week “performance-enhancement plan”
  • If they choose the enhancement plan, but do not improve, they will no longer be eligible for severance
  • Employees identified as underperforming with less than seven years of service will face involuntary termination with severance
  • “‘The changes are intended to simplify how managers confront poor performance and provide an alternative to the improvement plan, which can be an intense period of work for employees who have made up their minds,’ the Ford spokeswoman said

• Facebook hits the one year anniversary of its transformation into its current name, Meta and investors as well as the public don’t seem very excited. 
  • In early 2021 then-Facebook was taking punches from leaked internal sources showing the company knew the negative impact it was having on society, concerns about Apple’s new privacy rules, and TikTok’s upswing. The company used the name change to Meta as an indicator of a page turned, and a bright future
  • After investing billions in metaverse dev, the company just announced its second ever revenue drop, and that profits have been cut in half. It’s $1 Trillion market cap from l

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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