Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk extended congratulations to Ford Motor Co‘s F CEO Jim Farley for the legacy automaker’s impressive 2023 sales figures despite their fierce rivalry in the U.S. electric vehicle market.
What Happened: In 2023, Ford achieved notable success by selling 72,608 EVs in the U.S., marking an almost 18% annual increase and securing the position as the second best-selling EV brand, trailing closely behind Tesla.
The sales figures encompass three key vehicles: the Mustang Mach-E SUV, the F-150 Lightning truck, and the E-transit van.
The Mach-E emerged as the top-selling EV from Ford, with sales reaching 40,771 units during the year. Notably, the F-150 Lightning experienced an impressive 55% growth in sales, totaling 24,165 units.
The F-150 Lightning now stands as the best-selling electric truck in the United States, while the Mach-E claims the second-best spot among SUVs, following Tesla’s Model Y.
The competition intensified with Tesla commencing deliveries of its Cybertruck in late November, expanding the rivalry into the EV truck segment.
Why It Matters: Farley last month acknowledged the similarity in the development path between Ford’s next-generation vehicles and Tesla’s 48-volt architecture. He expressed a willingness to collaborate with Musk to advance the supply base into the 48V future.
Unlike Tesla, which exclusively focuses on EVs, Ford remains engaged in the production of combustion engine and hybrid vehicles.
In 2023, Ford sold nearly 2 million vehicles in the United States, reflecting a 7% annual increase and marking its best year since 2020. Hybrid sales for Ford also rose by 25%, reaching 133,743 units.
While Tesla achieved a remarkable global milestone by selling 1.8 million electric vehicles last year, the company does not provide a breakdown of sales by region, making it challenging to determine the number sold in the U.S. alone.
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