Tesla Drivers Are Defecting To Ford's Electric Pickup

The Ford F-series has been the best-selling pick-up in North America for more than four decades (via CNBC). Now that the world is gradually shifting to green energy, Ford took the opportunity to capitalize on America's good favor. The Ford F-150 Lightning was released in May 2022 and it looked like the traditional Ford F-150 — except that it's an electric pickup, and the nose is just a little bit different. From our test drive with Ford F-150 Lightning, we confirmed that it's quicker than any Ford pick-up ever built. We also liked its range, aerodynamics, extra storage space, tow rating, and advanced technology features.

As expected, the demand for the Ford F-150 Lightning started on a high note. In fact, Ford initially closed the pre-reservation orders after it was overwhelmed by the demands. However, you can pre-order the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning that will be available this fall. To keep the shareholders in the loop, Ford has released its sales numbers for August, and its electric pickup is growing at an exceptional rate. 

In its latest sales report (PDF), Ford sold 2,373 F-150 Lightning models in August — this brings it to a total of 6,842 F-150 Lightning pickups that have been sold since May. Ford also says that it sold 7,302 Ford hybrid pickups, 3,120 Mustang Mach E, and 404 E-Transit models in the same month. "Ford electric vehicle sales expanded four-fold over a year ago, growing almost four times faster than the EV segment and conquesting from competitors at a rate over 60 percent," according to the sales report.

In context, this makes Ford F-150 Lightning the best-selling electric pickup in North America. Its competitor in the pickup category, the Rivian R1T, sold 700 units in Q2 of 2022 according to GoodCarBadCar. Other noteworthy competitors that could dethrone the F-150 Lightning in the electric pickup category are Tesla Cybertruck and Chevrolet Silverado EV which are yet to be released. This leaves Ford with electric sedans and SUVs like the Tesla Model X, Model 3, and Model S as the competition. 

According to GoodCarBadCar, the Tesla Model X sold 2,304 units in June — the last time Tesla reported the sales in Q2. Also, Tesla sold 2,896 Model S units the last time it gave the numbers in Q2. This means that the F-150 Lightning is not just the best-selling electric pickup, but it's doing just as good as the Tesla Model X and Model S in sales numbers. If we consider Ford Mustang Mach-E August sales, it's doing better than the Tesla Model X and Model S.

However, Ford acknowledges that it's the "No. 2 electric vehicle brand on record sales of F-150 Lightning, strong Mustang Mach-E gain and E-Transit Van" which has increased by 307% in August. Tesla is still the number one electric vehicle brand in the U.S., as reported by Electrek. It's possible that things could change in the future now that Ford plans to sell 600k EVs in North America by 2024, and over 2 million electric cars every year by 2026.