Ford's Overall Sales Climb While EV Numbers Drop

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

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 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 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.

    • VoGhost VoGhost on Jul 11, 2023

      Ford is doing exactly that. The Lightening is just a stopgap until they've finished engineering the new model.


  • Doug brockman 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

    • VoGhost 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!


  • Redapple2 Do your drinking at home !
  • Redapple2 Chicago used to a great town. Shame.
  • Redapple2 Why are Tesla sales falling?
  • Ras815 It's insane they would go through all of that added expense and time to ship to Italy and back, all for noticeably inferior workmanship on their flagship product. A harbinger of GM's increasingly questionable decision-making, perhaps?
  • ChristianWimmer US-spec 380SLs were especially asthmatic thanks to the emissions regulations. In Europe these were considered quite “quick” and powerful. They are slow cars by todays standards but excellent cruisers so this 380SL is perfect for someone who just wants a solid, open-top cruiser and not a weekend drag racer.IIRC the 560SL had a torque advantage over the European 500SL, but the 500SL was ultimately the quicker car.I own an ‘89 500SL R129 and despite the 326-horsepower torquey V8, it’s 0-100 km/h “performance” is held back by the 4-speed automatic and 2-ton weight. Even in their day these cars were not intended for drag racing or 0-100 km/h bragging times. They are cruisers meant to be enjoyed in a responsible manner. Plus, driving faster than 120-130 km/h with the top down or the soft top closed results in high wind noises for the former and a loud fluttering cloth top for the latter. As a result I drive a maximum of 110 km/h on the Autobahn with the top down or 120-130 km/h with the top up.
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