Ford U.S. sales fall 10.3% as truck supply and EV demand weigh
Ford said second-quarter U.S. sales declined as F-Series production recovered from aluminum shortages and all-electric sales fell sharply.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Ford Motor reported a 10.3% drop in U.S. new-vehicle sales for the second quarter, a decline tied to lower F-Series truck volume and weaker all-electric sales. The result matters because the F-Series is Ford’s core franchise, while electric vehicles remain a closely watched part of the automaker’s growth plans.
The company said Thursday that it sold 549,200 vehicles in the quarter, down from 612,095 a year earlier. CNBC reported that the decline was one of the larger expected drops in the auto industry for the period.
Ford’s battery-electric vehicle sales fell 40.7% from the same quarter last year, according to the company. Ford also said sales of F-Series pickups, including the F-150, declined 11%.
The automaker linked the truck weakness to production timing after shortages of aluminum disrupted supply. Ford said its largest aluminum supplier had restarted production after two fires late last year, and that Ford was increasing F-Series output as supply improved.
F-Series supply expected to improve
In a company release cited by CNBC, Ford said demand for F-Series trucks remained strong, but first-half sales reflected a shift in commercial production timing after the aluminum shortages. Ford said it expected supply to recover more fully during the second half of the year.
The F-Series line, which includes the F-150, is one of Ford’s most important product families. The sales decline shows how parts constraints can show up in delivery numbers even when the company says customer interest remains intact.
Ford’s second-quarter result was slightly better than Cox Automotive had projected. CNBC reported that Cox Automotive expected Ford’s U.S. sales to fall 11.5% for the quarter.
EV sales decline sharply
The 40.7% drop in pure electric vehicle sales marked a separate pressure point for Ford during the quarter, according to the company. Ford did not provide further detail in the reported release on the model-by-model drivers of the EV decline.
The weaker EV performance came alongside the production issues affecting pickup trucks, leaving Ford with lower overall U.S. volume compared with the year-earlier quarter. CNBC reported the sales update as breaking news and said additional details were expected.
Ford shares were listed in CNBC’s report in connection with the sales update. The article did not provide a broader company forecast beyond Ford’s expectation that F-Series supply would improve in the second half of the year.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.