> I'm not aware of Ford selling direct to consumer in any state. Where do you see that happening?

I already said they're not yet but that they intend to. Again - the point there was really that they have marked up the F150 Lightning significantly themselves.

> And I didn't dispute that Tesla does it

Yet you responded to me with "Where in the US do you think manufacturers are selling directly to consumers, exactly?"

> Tesla's prices are just needlessly high.

Except, they're not. The current MSRP of the Model 3 compares pretty favorably with the MSRP + dealer markup you pay for similar EVs.

> When and if the dealership lobby gets put in its place and manufacturers can start selling DTC, do you really think they're going to jack up their prices so they stay the same as at dealerships?

In normal times? No. When there are extreme shortages? Yes. Tesla and Ford have significantly increased the prices of their EVs in response to shortages.

>But the point is that Ford could have easily set the base at $25k, or $30k, and still gotten plenty of orders.

I mean, I'd imagine that most Maverick orders are spec'ed to $30k+. I think on some level, the positive press generated by the $20k starting price is selling more expensive versions of the maverick.

Worth noting that the $20k Maverick is pretty stripped down inside and isn't AWD.

> Yeah, the manufacturers are in it for money. That's how business works. But they're not trying to completely screw the consumers like the dealerships do.

Agreed. But clearly they're not above jacking up prices when there are extreme shortages.