Ford’s quarterly U.S. car sales increase on strong demand for SUVs and electric vehicles
July 2 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (FN) US second-quarter auto sales rose 9.6% to 475,327 units, benefiting from strong demand for SUVs and electric vehicles in June, the second-largest American automaker announced on Friday.
The company posted a 117% increase in sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in the United States in June. Sales of Ford-branded SUVs rose 37% in June, while those of Lincoln SUVs rose 23.3%.
Ford sold 12,975 units of its Mustang Mach-E SUV in the first six months of this year. The company is set to launch the electric version of its best-selling F-150 pickup in 2022.
Automakers in the United States are enjoying strong demand as consumers switch to personal transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low interest rates and government stimulus are also helping to boost sales.
However, supply has been limited due to a global semiconductor shortage.
“With limited inventory and record second quarter turnover rates, we worked closely with our dealers to collect retail orders, which were up 16-fold from last year,” Ford said in a statement.
General Motors Co (GM.N) said Thursday that its U.S. auto sales jumped to 688,236 vehicles in the quarter.
Report by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Krishna Chandra Eluri
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