Ford is killing the opportunity for customers to buy their leased EV vehicles at the end of the lease contract.

The decision brings us 1-step closer to the automotive industry replicating the cell phone industry: Where you turn ’em in for the new one, the old one gets recycled, and you forever stay in a monthly plan. Ford realizes that battery costs are rapidly rising. And EVs cannot be viable unless there are mandatory trade-ins, and batteries stay in Ford’s possession to be recycled.