I have a lot of respect for Jim Farley, but I view this statement as a lot of blunderbuss and hype. He mentions 100% online, but does not specifically say “OEM direct“ which is the Tesla distribution approach. Unless they develop a new brand for their EVs, the direct sale will have to come from existing Ford dealers.
All U.S. dealers are protected by very stringent state franchise laws, and the Nat’l Auto Dealer Assoc (NADA) is a very powerful resource. Remember that all dealers have a lot of money tied up in brick & mortar facilities, and an OEM can’t unilaterally decide to bypass their own dealer network. Didn’t Ford recently allow dealers to build separate Bronco showrooms?
I think Mr. Farley is alluding to the “agency model” which is taking hold in Europe, and MB recently announced they’re headed toward that model.