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!


  • 1995 SC "Tariffs are paid by the customer, not the entities the tariffs are enacted against. Unless they are enacted by a politician of my chosen party. Then they function as intended and are good, sound policy."-A bunch of posters here
  • Akear Since EVs are such a small percent of the market do these tariff really mean anything?
  • Chiefmonkey It's amazing how stingy automakers have gotten with sedans. The lack of engine options, lack of customizability, lack of sedans period... it is absolutely miserable. I want to go back to 2009 and buy a brand new Camry LE V6 or something of that sort.
  • Jeff [h3] TEARING APART my Tesla Cybertruck made my mechanic ...[/h3] YouTube · Hoovies Garage 1.2M+ views · 6 days ago 25:58... much Lamborghini repairs REALLY cost! Car Wizard•244K views · 13:26 · Go to channel. Death of the Small Affordable Pickup. Bart's Car Stories• 
  • MaintenanceCosts This is incredibly backward. CEO compensation should be such that it is noncontroversial, driven by the board rather than the CEO, and an easy shareholder vote. Corporate efforts at persuasion should be directed at the customers who might buy products and services.
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