Ford Motor reported on Thursday that new vehicle sales are down 2 percent in 2022 as computer chip shortages and other supply disruptions slowed production of trucks and SUVs.
The automaker said it sold 1.85 million cars and light trucks in the United States last year, as well as 13,539 heavy trucks.
Ford’s sales decline was in line with that of most other automakers. Overall, the industry sold about 13.8 million new vehicles in 2022, about a million less than in 2021, according to Edmunds, a market research firm. On Wednesday, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Stellantis reported significant sales declines in 2022. General Motors was an exception, with new vehicle sales up 2.5 percent to 2.3 million vehicles.
For the past two years, automakers around the world have been hampered by a shortage of semiconductors, the cerebellum used in electronic devices that power a vehicle’s engine, transmission, display and other key components. The shortage of chips eased somewhat in 2022, but other supply issues were caused by Covid-19 outbreaks that sometimes interrupted production of key components in China and Southeast Asia.
Supply problems limited the number of pickup trucks Ford could produce, and sales of the F-Series trucks fell 10 percent to 653,957 vehicles, though the F-Series remained the top-selling vehicle line in the U.S. market.
One bright spot for Ford was the introduction last spring of an electric pick-up, the F-150 Lightning. The company said it sold 15,617 Lightnings in 2022, fewer than expected as it ramped up production of battery packs for the vehicle.
Ford also said it sold 6,500 electric vans. Sales of an electric SUV, the Mustang Mach E, rose 45 percent to 39,458 vehicles.
The company is counting on an increase in electric vehicle sales to fuel growth this year. The automaker is building two battery plants in Kentucky and a third battery plant and new electric truck plant in Tennessee.
