General Motors moved nearly 10,000 more electric vehicles than rival Ford during the first quarter of 2023 to become the United States’ second-best-selling EV manufacturer. The Detroit automaker reported sales of 20,670 electric vehicles, the vast majority of them Chevrolet Bolts. In the same period, Ford sold 10,866 EVs—a more even mix of Mustang Mach-E crossovers, F-150 Lightnings, and E-Transit vans.
A total of 19,700 Bolts, both EV hatchbacks and EUV crossovers, were sold in Q1. GM’s other brands contributed to their parent automaker’s relative success, but not nearly as much. Cadillac delivered 968 Lyriqs and GMC delivered just two Hummer EVs. There is currently a stop sale on Hummer EVs due to poorly sealed battery packs. The Cadillac Lyriq rollout has likewise been very gradual, although GM expects deliveries to ramp up soon.
Ford sold 5,407 Mach-Es, 4,291 F-150 Lightnings, and 1,168 E-Transits, for a total of around 11,000 EVs in Q1. This is more than the dedicated electric automaker Rivian and will likely be more than Lucid as well, although the latter has yet to release its Q1 sales figures.
Both Ford and GM are rapidly developing their EV supply chains with battery manufacturing facilities and assembly plants. Despite this, they’re nowhere near Tesla. The Texas-based automaker delivered 422,875 EVs worldwide in Q1, and while it doesn’t break down sales by country, it’s safe to say Tesla’s U.S. deliveries were high above GM’s.
GM’s CEO Mary Barra has stated it plans to be the number one electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States by the middle of the decade. In the same breath, she has noted that these vehicles will not be profitable until 2025. Ford likewise has lofty goals, but it has struggled with profitability. The base model F-150 Lightning, for instance, now costs $61,869, up from its initial starting price of $41,669.
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