DETROIT, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Ford is trying to woo

the electric vehicle-curious by offering free home chargers and

installation to buyers of EVs through the end of the year, the

company said on Monday.

As automakers try to energize sagging EV demand, they've

focused on improving access to chargers, along with addressing

concerns around price and battery range.

"There's no bigger obstacle than charging," Ford CEO Jim

Farley told Reuters in an interview.

The free charger and installation benefit applies to

customers who buy or lease a Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150

Lightning pickup truck or E-Transit Cargo van from Oct. 1

through year-end, Ford said.

Farley learned more about these challenges after embarking

on two EV road trips across Europe and the Western U.S.,

prompting him and his team to focus on a place drivers can count

on for reliable and consistent charging: their homes.

"We spend all this time in the industry talking about

charging on the road, and yet we kind of overlooked the most

basic charging solution for America," Farley said.

He declined to say how much the program will cost. Marin

Gjaja, chief operating officer of Ford's electric division, said

the company expects to "contain it in our existing financials."

Ford is already struggling to cut costs on its

battery-powered models, and it faces a $5 billion loss on its

electric unit this year.

The carmaker canceled a much-touted three-row electric SUV

in August to slash spending, although the move could cost the

automaker about $1.9 billion in the near-term.

Ford sold about 44,000 electric vehicles in the first half

of 2024, up 72% from a year earlier, making it the second

largest EV seller in the United States. Still, it is far behind

Tesla, which delivered around 831,000 vehicles in that

time.

Ford in May 2023 became the first major automaker to partner

with Tesla on its nationwide network of superchargers. Ford's

vehicles are expected to come with compatible charging ports

starting in 2025 to more easily power up at Tesla stations.

Customers who purchase a Ford EV in the fourth quarter and

already have a home charger or live in an apartment will be

eligible to receive a $2,000 cash equivalent from dealers, Ford

said.