On June 4, 2025, according to the latest sales data, Ford's electric vehicle sales in the US market in May fell 25% year-on-year, of which the flagship electric pickup F-150 Lightning sales plummeted 42%, triggering the industry to re-examine the electrification transformation of traditional automakers.
Overall performance: Ford sold only 6,254 electric vehicles in May, nearly a quarter less than the same period in 2024.
Main model decline: F-150 Lightning, as the core product of Ford's electrification strategy, saw monthly sales fall to 2,108 units, setting a record low since 2023.
Other models: Mustang Mach-E sales fell 19% year-on-year, and E-Transit commercial trucks became the only model with positive growth (+8%).
Impact of price war: Tesla Cybertruck's large-scale delivery and price reduction strategy directly squeezed the F-150 Lightning market space.
Policy adjustment: New US federal tax credit rules exclude some Ford models from the subsidy list.
Demand fluctuations: Institutional surveys show that pickup truck users are still concerned about charging infrastructure at 63%.
"This is not only a problem for Ford, but also a microcosm of the electrification process of traditional automakers," said a senior analyst at LMC Automotive. "As Tesla and Rivian continue to seize the high-end market and Chinese brands such as BYD penetrate through low-priced models, Ford needs to re-evaluate product positioning and supply chain costs."
A Ford spokesperson responded that the company is accelerating the development of the second-generation electric vehicle platform and plans to launch three electric models for the mass market by 2026. At the same time, it will launch an upgraded version of the F-150 Lightning (EPA standard 500 kilometers +) to cope with competition.
As General Motors announced a 12% increase in electric vehicle sales during the same period, the US electric vehicle market has become more polarized. Whether Ford can reverse its downward trend with the Blue Oval City plant in Tennessee, which will be put into production in the fourth quarter of 2025, will become the focus of industry attention in the second half of the year.
