When we tallied up automotive sales for the second quarter of 2022, Ford was one of the manufacturers that was outpacing the industry in terms of year-on-year sales. In June, Ford had an excellent month with sales rising by 31.1%, and this trend has spilled over into Q3. According to the Blue Oval, it was the number 1 brand in America in July with US sales reaching 163,942 units including Lincoln. Ford's overall market share increased by 1% in July and improved inventory flow saw July sales soar by 36.6% compared to July 2021, whereas industry sales as a whole were down 10.5% last month. The enduring F-Series trucks and a promising result for Ford EVs stood out in July.
"Ford was America's best-selling brand in July powered by strong demand across our lineup," said Andrew Frick, vice president, Sales, Distribution & Trucks, Ford Blue. "Our overall sales rose 37 percent in July and electric vehicle sales grew at three times the rate of the EV segment. F-Series hit the 60,000-truck mark for the first time this year, with our all-new electric F-150 Lightning having its best sales month yet. Ford SUVs were up 70 percent, while E-Transit leads the electric van space with 95 percent of the electric van segment." Perhaps because of the E-Transit's success, Ford feels confident raising prices by up to $3,705 soon.
Clearly, Fords are in high demand in a range of segments. EV sales rose by 168.7%, including 4,970 sales of the Mustang Mach-E, up by 74.1% over July 2021. Other than the F-Series, Ford's top-selling model in July was the Explorer with 17,673 examples sold, up by 32.4%.
The Explorer was followed by the soon-to-be-updated Bronco (10,621 units, up by 224.1%), Escape (9,854, +138%), and Bronco Sport (7,608, +229.9%). Not every Ford had a stellar month, however. Mustang sales dipped by 18.4% to 3,367, and Ranger sales were down 33.3% to 3,973. That's no great surprise since an all-new Ranger is on the way. The Maverick, which wasn't on sale a year ago, surpassed 45,000 sales for the year with 6,720 of those coming in July - 2,153 of these were hybrid models. As for the F-150 Lightning, Ford moved 2,173 of those. This was the Lightning's best month since the electric truck was launched.
As we move further into the second half of the year, it's clear that Ford has managed to overcome inventory shortages more effectively than many rivals. Order banks for the Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, and Ranger re-opened on August 2, which bodes well for sales of those models this month.
What about Ford's luxury arm, Lincoln? Its sales rose by 64.5% compared to July 2021 with 6,968 cars sold last month. The top-selling Lincoln SUV was the Corsair/MKC on 1,985, followed closely by the Aviator on 1,927.
Ford Motor Company's year-to-date sales are now trailing 2021's sales by just 3.3%. At the current rate of growth, Ford could soon surpass last year's numbers. In a year ravaged by supply chain disruptions, that would be quite an achievement.