Ford is giving away free home chargers with each of its new electric cars

Ford is offering a free home charger when you buy one of its shiny new electric cars in a bid to free the UK from the clutches of that errant car hogging two public chargers.

We jest, of course. Its new electric car incentive also includes free installation of said charger, and more free stuff in the form of up to 10,000 miles of driving via a £217 credit if you're on, or switch to, an Octopus Energy tariff.

Following a survey of 5,000 people, Ford discovered a quarter of respondents felt more uncertainty and complexity when buying an EV, one in eight found it tricky to charge at home, while 30 per cent were worried about battery life. It did not say how many were concerned about that ICE car blocking the only working charger in a service station.

Still, the Blue Oval's new EV push includes a 100,000-mile/eight-year warranty on the battery and high-voltage components in its shiny new EVs - like the shiny and quite yellow Capri, above - a free five-year service plan, and free five-year towing assistance.

The offer of a free charger and the other goodies is only available until the end of June 2025, but if you’ve already got a home charger, Ford’s willing to put £500 in your pocket. And if you drive an electric van for work, such as the E-Transit, a home charge point (including the device, the installation, a five-year warranty and a year's access to Ford Pro software) costs you just a tenner.

Ford UK boss Lisa Brankin said: “Switching into an electric vehicle for the first time can be a daunting prospect for some drivers, so Ford has decided to simplify and de- stress the entire ownership experience by launching a one-of-a-kind promise to new electric car buyers. This commitment from Ford aims to entice new buyers into the exciting world of electric vehicles and stimulate additional demand for our freshest-ever lineup of electric passenger cars.”

Only last month, Brankin appeared on a panel agreeing with Nissan UK's Gareth Dunsmore about the need for 'more carrots and less sticks' to encourage UK drivers to make the change to EV. The pace of electric car sales has slowed considerably and carmakers would like the government to help with offsetting the higher purchase costs.

Of course, Ford isn’t making these offers for plug-in hybrids, neither is it the only manufacturer providing incentives to lure customers into an electric switch.

In light of the lack of a formal government incentive programme, Audi and VW are offering similar deals in partnerships with charge point manufacturer Ohme and OVO Energy, giving away a more generous 30,000 miles (over three years), too.