Ford Says Sales in January Increased 2%

Ford Motor said on Thursday that sales of cars and trucks in the United States increased 2 percent in January as supply chain problems eased. Sales of electric vehicles more than doubled in the month.

The automaker sold 145,070 cars and light trucks last month, compared with 142,445 vehicles in January 2022, when its production was slowed by a shortage of computer chips, leaving dealers with few vehicles to sell. At the end of January, Ford had 370,000 vehicles on dealer lots, up from 201,000 a year earlier.

Models responsible for the increase included pickup trucks, the Bronco sport-utility vehicle, and battery-powered models. Ford sold 2,264 electric F-150 Lightning pickup trucks, up from just 63 in January 2022, when the vehicle had just become available. It also sold 2,626 Mustang Mach-E electric S.U.V.s, up 11 percent.

Ford halted production of the Mach-E in January while modifying its plant in Cuautitlán, just north of Mexico City, to increase output. The company said production would restart this month.

On Wednesday, Honda, Hyundai and Kia reported sales increases of 9 percent to 22 percent, also as a result of improved supplies of vehicles. But Toyota said its January sales fell 15 percent to 134,392 cars and trucks.

Ford is expected to release its earnings report for 2022 and the last three months of last year on Thursday afternoon.