Ford Is Lending A Mach-E To All Residents Of UK’s Smallest Town To Prove That EVs Work In The Countryside

Electric vehicles are making inroads in the city, but a lot of people in rural areas might not be as convinced. In order to persuade them, Ford is lending to all 380 residents of Fordwich, Britain’s smallest town, a Mustang Mach-E.

Research conducted by OnePoll that was published in March showed that 82% of people in the UK’s countryside would not feel comfortable buying an EV as their next vehicle. The numbers drop slightly in small towns and villages to 79% and 76%, respectively, but they’ll have to fall farther if Ford’s decision to go all-electric in Europe by 2030 is to work.

Ford is going out and trying to convince the people of Fordwich. The test will last three days and the company has renamed the town “Fordswitch” for the duration of it. It has also teamed up with British Gas to install a public charging point in the town, as access to chargers is often cited as a barrier to EV adoption.

“Over the next few days, we want to show how even the smallest town can make the electric switch!” said Lisa Brankin, managing director of Ford Britain and Ireland. “Ford is committed to helping our current and future customers to go all-in on the road to a fully electric future by supporting them on that journey.”

The three-day test will also be a chance for residents to become educated on EVs in general. According to OnePoll, just 55% of people living in small towns felt they were educated enough on EVs to make an informed decision buying one. That’s a remarkable drop from 85% in cities and urban areas. Ford hopes this experience will help residents in small towns gain more confidence in EVs.

“We are so proud of our town and preservation is something that is incredibly important to us so we were keen to see how simple it would be to switch over to a more environmentally friendly vehicle,” said Fordwich Mayor Philip Lewis. “It’s great to see so many people signed up over the next few days and we are thrilled to have a local charging point installed for long-term public use.”