Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said it won't file for federal plug-in vehicle tax credits for transactions after the program's deadline, following a similar decision by General Motors Co.

The Dearborn automaker will continue to offer its current lease rates to customers, but will not claim the tax credit of up to $7,500. The incentive ended on Sept. 30, but Ford and GM through their finance arms found a workaround to extend that taxpayer-funded discount.

Following pressure from Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican and former auto dealer, to abandon the scheme, however, both companies have withdrawn their plans.

"Ford will not claim the EV tax credit but will maintain the competitive lease payments we have in the market today to continue providing customers with more affordable electric vehicle options," Ford spokesperson Said Deep said in a statement. "For customers who want to purchase an electric vehicle, Ford Credit continues to offer 0% financing for 72 months and other incentives."

The automakers had their finance arms put down payments on dealers' in-stock electric vehicles ahead of the deadline in an effort to extend the discount. CEO Jim Farley had characterized it as a way to "transition" customers away from the government incentive.

Now the companies will foot the discount themselves. Ford's EV lease deals are expected to extend through the rest of the year. GM said on Wednesday it will offer its discount of up to $6,000 through October.

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