Ford Motor Company: Understanding the history and legacy of automakers
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- Overall, Ford’s US sales increased 3.9% in August, while EV sales increased 19%.
- Experts predict EV sales growth by the end of the month.
- According to analysts, car buyers may get some good deals on EVs.
August was the sixth consecutive month of sales increase due to significant profits in Ford Motor Co.’s SUV and electric vehicle sales.
On September 3, Ford reported that US sales increased by 3.9% in August, 190,206 vehicles were sold compared to August. For the first eight months of the year, Ford sold a total of 1.5 million vehicles in the US, earning a 6.6% gain compared to the same period a year ago.
Sales of Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln saw a 14.9% decline in August to 8,379 vehicles and 181,827 units sold under the Ford brand, earning 5% compared to August 2024.
But the big winner for Ford was retail EV sales. EV sales skyrocketed 19%, totaling 10,671 sold in August. However, to date, Ford’s EV sales have fallen by 5.7% with 57,888 sales.
Carl Brower, executive analyst at ISEeCars.com, told the Detroit Free Press on September 3, part of the USA Today network. “He told Detroit Free Press, which plans to buy an EV in the next three to six months.
Promoting sales of EVs
In August, Ford sold 18,773 hybrid vehicles. This is a 14.5% profit compared to August 2024. Hybrid vehicles run on electric motors before switching to gasoline engines when the electric motors run out.
Sales of Ford, a gasoline-powered internal combustion vehicle, rose 2% in August to sell 160,762 gasoline vehicles.
Ford hybrid vehicle sales are up 24% to 155,107. From January to August, Ford sold 1.3 million gas-powered vehicles. This is a 5.5% profit compared to the same period in 2024.
Sales of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E increased from 35.3% to 7,226 that month. Sales of the Lightning F-150 increased from 21.2% that month to 3,217. However, limited commercial vehicle e-Transit sales plummeted from 76% to 228 people.
The driver behind these profits in retail EV sales is the mega tax bill signed into law in July. The law pushed the expiration date for the federal clean vehicle tax credit from September 30th from the original date in 2032. This means a deadline that will take away a tax credit of up to $7,500 on a new qualified electric vehicle.
Ivan Drury of Edmunds.com said that incentives that resonated with consumers led to Ford’s simple marketing message and aggressive sales, especially in EVs.
“This is the difference between the day and night last year when Ford EVs sat in a lot for an average of 99 days in August 2024. At nearly half of the lot times this August and 51 days, Edmunds’ director of insights said. “EV turnaround puts a sense of urgency behind potential EV consumers as they have the right combination of incentives for 64% of Ford EVs leases last August, and the EV tax credit watches are engraved.”
The problem is sustainability, Drury said. He said the tax credit will expire, and the industry will see a hangover in the fourth quarter EV rampage.
Car buyers can expect to trade EVs
Savvy consumers are forced to recognize the imminent death of the EV tax credit. For those who don’t, all they have to do is watch automated websites and ads. Some dealers run headings on sites that read “Plugins before turning them on.”
As the Detroit Free Press reported in early August, analysts predict that EV sales will be the strongest ever in the third quarter as consumers scramble to take advantage of the tax credit.
“The urgency created by the administration’s decision to support the government was expected to create serious demand for EVs in the short term, as EV incentives in the IRA era. If last month is any measure: mission will be achieved,” said Cox Senior Analyst, A report released on August 13th. “The incentives will dry out. ”
Brower told the Free Press that EV sales spikes will continue until the end of September on all EV models, saying “EV sales will evaporate in the fourth quarter, and “EV sales will evaporate, just like Drury’s forecast,” and “wiping will continue” in the opposite direction.
“This is a predictable pattern, and we see it every time a large purchase incentive is removed from the market,” Brower said.
In the meantime, consumers can expect to find a deal as EV inventory evaporates.
“Dealers are very aware of this pattern, and those with EV stock will provide more and more desirable pricing and financing as the end of September approaches,” Brower said. “Supplying a large amount of EVs sold to their lots on October 1 is a position that dealers are actively avoiding.”
Other results for Ford
During that month, Ford sold 81,539 SUVs, earning 6.2% compared to August 2024. Traditional passenger car sales rose 2.2% to 3,235.
Some winners: Bronco sales rose 32% to 13,378 vehicles sold in August compared to the same period last year. Explorer sales in August spiked 20,617 vehicles from 22% sold. Sales of Maverick Pickups were sold at a 16.4% increase.
Some Losers: Escape sales fell 10.4% in August to 12,290 compared to the same period last year. Despite rising lightning sales, F-Series sales immersed 68,318 units from 3.4% sold in August.
At Lincoln, only the Navigator and Corsair earned sales. Corsair, which Ford will halt production by the end of the year, sold 2,526 units in August, earning 8.6% profit. The Navigator saw a 2.5% increase in sales to 1,624 units sold.
Jamie L. Larrow is a senior Autos writer covering Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Please contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jarouan. Sign up for our car newsletter. Become a subscriber.
