Ford's Overall Sales Climb While EV Numbers Drop

by Chris Teague

Published: July 10th, 2023

ford s overall sales climb while ev numbers drop

Ford has invested billions in its electrification efforts, but the automaker might not see a return on that money for quite some time. Though it reported a significant jump in sales in the second quarter of this year, the company’s EV sales have fallen slightly.

Ford reported second-quarter sales growth of 9.9 percent from a year before and noted that year-to-date sales were up 10 percent. At the same time, Ford’s EV sales declined by 2.8 percent, driven by a more than 21 percent decline in Mustang Mach-E sales and a 3.8 percent drop in E-Transit numbers.

If EVs aren’t driving Ford sales, what is? If you guessed trucks, you’d be right. The Blue Oval’s truck sales jumped 34 percent in the second quarter and almost 25 percent from the first quarter of the year. Ford moved 246,155 trucks in the second quarter, outselling all of its rivals and helping it retain the title of the best-selling truck maker in the United States.

Though Ford truck sales jumped 26.2 percent, the company’s SUVs also saw double-digit increases. The automaker said that the supply of the Mustang Mach-E is improving and noted that F-150 Lightning inventory is on the rebound following a battery fire issue that temporarily halted production.

Ford’s sales report isn’t that surprising, given the state of EV infrastructure in this country and the additional costs of buying electric. The F-150 Lightning is an impressive electric truck, but it’s significantly more expensive than a comparable gas-powered F-150, making it a tough sell in many parts of the country. General Motors is in a similar boat, though it also reported a strong sales gain of 19 percent during the same time.

[Image: Ford]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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4 of 27 comments

Carlson Fan on Jul 10, 2023

"The F-150 Lightning is an impressive electric truck,"

Really? Explain that one. There isn't one thing in that whole truck that I find innovative which explains the dismal performance. They basically took and F150 chassis and stuck some electric motors and a big heavy battery on it. Have you looked at the pictures of what's underneath some of the pretty plastic covers. Looks like a hot mess of engineering to me. The word "ugly" comes to mind.

They will never sell these over-priced under performing road disasters in any numbers. Start over with a clean slate and build an EV PU aimed at the WT market. With current battery tech,. & charging infrastructure that is the only market worth pursuing right now.

3 Reply
- VoGhost on Jul 11, 2023
  
  Ford is doing exactly that. The Lightening is just a stopgap until they've finished engineering the new model.
  
  Like
Doug brockman on Jul 10, 2023

I have no clue
but if its EV like Tesla reflect that stacked against the sales of cumulative ICE vehicles its a meaningless drop in the bucket

Like Reply
- VoGhost on Jul 11, 2023
  
  The past is in the past. Today, the best selling vehicle in the world is the Tesla Model Y. America is back, baby!
  
  Like

Recent Comments

Theflyersfan With sedans, especially, I wonder how many of those sales are to rental fleets. With the exception of the Civic and Accord, there are still rows of sedans mixed in with the RAV4s at every airport rental lot. I doubt the breakdown in sales is publicly published, so who knows... GM isn't out of the sedan business - Cadillac exists and I can't believe I'm typing this but they are actually decent - and I think they are making a huge mistake, especially if there's an extended oil price hike (cough...Iran...cough) and people want smaller and hybrids. But if one is only tied to the quarterly shareholder reports and not trends and the big picture, bad decisions like this get made.
Wjtinfwb Not proud of what Stellantis is rolling out?
Wjtinfwb Absolutely. But not incredibly high-tech, AWD, mega performance sedans with amazing styling and outrageous price tags. GM needs a new Impala and LeSabre. 6 passenger, comfortable, conservative, dead nuts reliable and inexpensive enough for a family guy making 70k a year or less to be able to afford. Ford should bring back the Fusion, modernized, maybe a bit bigger and give us that Hybrid option again. An updated Taurus, harkening back to the Gen 1 and updated version that easily hold 6, offer a huge trunk, elevated handling and ride and modest power that offers great fuel economy. Like the GM have a version that a working mom can afford. The last decade car makers have focused on building cars that American's want, but eliminated what they need. When a Ford Escape of Chevy Blazer can be optioned up to 50k, you've lost the plot.
Willie If both nations were actually free market economies I would be totally opposed. The US is closer to being one, but China does a lot to prop up the sectors they want to dominate allowing them to sell WAY below cost, functionally dumping their goods in our market to destroy competition. I have seen this in my area recently with shrimp farmed by Chinese comglomerates being sold super cheap to push local producers (who have to live at US prices and obey US laws) out of business.China also has VERY lax safety and environmental laws which reduce costs greatly. It isn't an equal playing field, they don't play fair.
Willie ~300,000 Camrys and ~200,000 Accords say there is still a market. My wife has a Camry and we have no desire for a payment on something that has worse fuel economy.