Staying Alive
It’s been a tough 2025 and the start of 2026 for the automotive industry, from the EV slowdown and market preference shift to the oil crisis. Automakers have been putting out fires left and right, pivoting strategies, or offering more incentives to entice new car buyers.
To tackle the fuel price issue, Ford in the US is offering a very unique incentive program. One that tackles fuel prices head-on for potential new car buyers through gas cards. This might also be the way the brand is trying to get customers to buy some of the slower-selling models.
Savings Matter
New car buyers are becoming more conscious of the cars they’re getting. We’ve already seen the market react with customers flocking to electrified powertrains. Brands are seeing this and are trying to offer deals that might sway customers towards the other non-hybrid or EV offerings.
According to a report by Cars Direct, Ford is now offering the Fuel Your Ford Program, which can provide savings of up to $3,500.
An April 1 bulletin shows that this fuel incentive program is now being offered in five regions in the United States. The specific states are Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, and San Francisco. However, the offer is only available for two Ford models, the Maverick and the Bronco Sport, until April 30, 2026.
The amounts for each variant and model also vary by region. In California, the Bronco Sport gets $3,000 off MSRP, while the Maverick gets $3,500 on the Lobo variant but $2,500 on the others. There is also a $1,000 rebate on the hybrid Maverick. It’s no surprise that this deal is on offer for the Bronco Sport and Maverick, with reports suggesting the brand is struggling to sell over 20,000 units of the 2025 year models of both nameplates.
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The Fine Print
As mentioned, only two models in the lineup are eligible for the fuel card incentive, not to mention other fine-print rules that might dissuade buyers from participating. This discount is also available only to buyers, not lessees, and cannot be used with other cash incentives. Furthermore, it might take up to five weeks for the fuel card to be issued, which may be too long for buyers.
Cars Direct also finds that the other cash incentive programs offered by Ford might offer buyers better value at much less hassle than the fuel card incentive. At the moment, it seems only the West Coast is offering the fuel incentive program.
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