Ford secures second in US EV sales after a record Q4 and year in 2023
Ford remained the second top-selling EV brand in the US, behind only Tesla, after selling nearly 26,000 EVs in Q4. The F-150 Lightning was America’s best-selling electric truck in 2023, while the Mustang Mach-E had its best sales year yet.
Ford sold a record 25,937 electric vehicles in the last three months of 2023, up 24% over the third quarter.
The American automaker sold a total of 72,608 EVs in 2023 (+18% YOY), a new record. The growth was enough to remain the second top-selling EV brand behind Tesla.
After electric truck sales soared nearly 75% in Q4, Ford’s F-150 Lighting was the best-selling electric truck. Ford sold 11,905 Lightning models in Q4 for a total of 24,165 in 2023.
The Mustang Mach-E was the second best-selling electric SUV in the US, with 40,771 units sold last year, another record. Ford’s E-Transit was the best-selling electric van, with sales of 7,672 in 2023 (+18% YOY).
“I am especially proud Ford remained the No. 2 EV brand in America,” Ford’s CEO Jim Farley said.
Ford remains second in US EV sales amid record Q4
Ford edged out GM, which sold 19,469 EVs in Q4, down slightly from the previous quarter. GM ended production of its top-selling Bolt EV as it ramps production of its Ultium vehicles.
Hyundai, which doesn’t provide an exact breakdown, sold nearly 47,000 IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 EVs last year, a record of its own. However, these numbers don’t include the Kona electric. With Kia and the Kona EV included, Hyundai Motor Group likely topped Ford in EV sales last year.
As demand continues building for the Lightning electric truck, Ford spokesperson Martin Gunsberg told Electrek the company is “making adjustments to pricing, production, and trim packages.”
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning prices start at $54,995, $5K higher than last year’s base model. The entry-level 2024 F-150 Lightning Pro features up to 240 miles EPA-est range. Other trims, except the Platinum, saw increases between $2K (Lariat 320 mile range) and $7,500 (XLT 240 mile range).
The Platinum trim is the only model receiving a price cut. It will be $7,000 lower than last year’s model. The Platinum Black is $5,000 less than the 2023MY.
Ford added a new Flash trim with 320 miles range, a tech-oriented cabin, and a heat pump. It also comes with Ford’s Tow Tech package and Power Tailgate. Although it was initially expected to start under $70K, the new starting price is $73,495.
Gunsberg explained that the adjustments are to “achieve the optimal mix of sales growth, profitability, and customer access to the IRA tax benefit.”
Ford is also updating the 2023 Mustang Mach-E with $7,500 available in Red Carpet Lease Cash.
Electrek’s Take
Despite a record year, Ford is scaling back EV plans. Ford’s CFO, John Lawler, said Ford is “slowing down several investments,” including around $12 billion in EV spending.
Lawler added Ford is “changing the pace and flow” of capital and EV capacity put into place at the 2023 Barclays Global Automotive & Mobility Conference in November.
This includes reducing planned production at its Marshall plant by roughly half, cutting inverter and motor capacity, and scaling back on plans to integrate vertically.
Ford, like Toyota, is leaning into its hybrids amid rising EV competition. Ford’s hybrid sales outshined EVs, with over 37,000 sold in Q4. The automaker sold more than double the amount of hybrids (133,743) than EVs (61,575) last year.
EVs only accounted for 3.64% of Ford’s total vehicle sales. Meanwhile, hybrids accounted for 6.7%, leaving nearly 90% as gas-powered ICE vehicles.
Although Ford placed second in US EV sales, Tesla was first by a wide margin. Tesla delivered a record 484,507 EVs in the fourth quarter to beat its 1.8 million guidance for 2023.
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Environment
Baidu- and Geely-backed JiYue brand unveils ROBO X EV that goes 0-100 km/h in under 1.9 sec
JiYue, a Chinese EV brand focused on delivering all-electric “robocars” to the masses, has unveiled its latest model, and it’s quite a deviation from its previous EVs—but in the best way. Earlier today, JiYue launched the ROBO X supercar, designed for high-speed racing. By high speed, we mean 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 1.9 seconds. My mouth is watering.
JiYue has only existed since 2021, when parent tech company Baidu announced it was expanding from software development into physical EV production, joining forces with multinational automotive manufacturer Geely.
The new “robotic EV” marque initially launched as JIDU with $300 million in startup capital before garnering an additional $400 million in Series A funding, led by Baidu, in January 2022.
In August 2023, Geely took on a larger role in JIDU alongside a greater financial stake as the brand reimagined itself as JiYue, inheriting the JIDU logo and its flagship model, the 01 ROBOCAR.
In December 2023, Baidu and Geely unveiled a second model called the JiYue 07. It was born from JIDU’s ROBO-02 concept, which debuted in 2023 and was designed to compete against the Tesla Model 3 in China.
The 07 finally launched in China earlier this year with 545 miles of range. With an all-electric SUV and sedan on the market, JiYue has unveiled an exciting new entry in the form of a performance supercar called the ROBO X. Check it out:
JiYue’s new ROBO X EV is available for pre-order now
JiYue showcased its new ROBO X hypercar in front of the crowd at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show earlier today. Similar to previous models but with a unique spin, JiYue described the ROBO X as an AI smart-driving supercar that, for the first time, blends artificial intelligence and autonomous driving into a high-performance, race-ready EV.
When we say “high performance,” we mean a quad motor liquid-cooled drive system that can propel the ROBO X from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in under 1.9 seconds. JiYue called the new ROBO X a “performance beast” with “the perfect balance of excellent aerodynamic performance and high downforce.” JiYue CEO Joe Xia was even bolder in his statements about the ROBO X:
For the next 20 years, the design of supercars will bear the shadow of Robo X. This is the best design in the history of Chinese automobiles today, and it is a landmark presence.
Fighter-style airflow ducts bolster the EV’s aerodynamics, efficiency, and overall posture. Per JiYue, the two-seater ROBO X is expected to deliver a maximum range of over 650 km (404 miles).
The new supercar features falcon-wing doors, a carbon fiber integrated frame, and a professional racing HALO safety system offering 360° of support. The interior features an AI smart cockpit with SIMO real-time feedback to give drivers an immersive racing experience.
Furthermore, JiYue said the vehicle will utilize parent company Baidu’s Apollo self-driving technology, which could make it the first electric supercar to apply pure-vision ADAS technology that enables track-level autonomous driving.
Following today’s unveiling of the ROBO X, JiYue has officially opened up pre-orders in China for RMB 49,999 ($6,915). That said, reservation holders will need to be patient as JiYue shared that it doesn’t expect to begin mass production of the ROBO X until 2027.
What do you think? Will people be talking about the ROBO X for the next 20 years?
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes the launch of the Lectric XPedition 2.0, Yamaha e-bikes pulling out of North America, LiveWire unveils an electric scooter concept, PNY readying its cargo e-scooters for pilot testing, Royal Enfield’s first electric motorcycle, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
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Crude oil futures were on pace Friday for loss for the week, as a supply gut and a strong dollar depresses the market.
U.S. crude oil is down more than 2% this week, while Brent has shed nearly 2%.
Here are Friday’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.56 per barrel, down 14 cents, or 0.2%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has shed about 4%.
- Brent January contract: $72.36 per barrel, down 20 cents, or 0.28%. Year to date, the global benchmark has lost nearly 6%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.99 per gallon, up 0.46%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen more than 1%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.70 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.98%. Year to date, gas has gained more than 4%.
The International Energy Agency has forecast a surplus of more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025 on robust production in the U.S. OPEC revised down its demand forecast for the fourth consecutive month as demand in China remains soft.
A strong dollar also hangs over the market, as the greenback has surged in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
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