While much of the auto industry has been in recession due to a lack of supply to meet pent-up demand, Ford has bucked the trend. At least, in terms of sales targets so far this year.
Industry-wide, US new vehicle sales fell 20.3% for the second quarter to 3.53 million, compared to the same period a year ago due to supply chain constraints causing production bottlenecks. Ford was one of the few automakers to report a profit, with sales up 1.8% to 480,558 units. However, the growth was driven by the power of the Ford trucks. New car sales fell by 36%.
Now, with GM’s earnings report in the rear-view mirror, all eyes are on Ford’s second-quarter results to determine where the US automaker is doing and where it’s headed.
A slew of announcements over the past six months offers some hints. Ford has checked many tasks off its to-do list for the competition-on-the-global EV phase. The automaker has taken steps to increase battery capacity and strengthen its supply chain, announced plans to use lithium iron phosphate batteries for some of its vehicles and ramp up production of its new F-150 Lightning truck.
What analysts and londonbusinessblog.com are looking for?
According to data from Yahoo Finance, analysts expect Ford to generate earnings of 45 cents per share on revenue of $34.3 billion in the second quarter of 2022. That’s a significant jump from the $26.8 billion in revenue and 13 cents per share Ford reported a year ago in the same quarter, suggesting the company is starting to reap results from its $50 billion bet on EVs to mid-decade.
New models
Rivals from GM to Hyundai have unveiled new battery-electric models in recent weeks, but Ford has remained relatively quiet about future offerings. Instead, it focused on increasing the capacity of its F-150 Lightning pickup truck, Mustang Mach-E SUV, and E-Transit commercial van.
We’ll be listening to advice on the automaker’s plans for its future lineup on Wednesday. That includes a second electric pickup that Ford CEO Jim Farley teased in April at the production launch of the F-150 Lightning.
production
South Korea’s Ford and SK On recently signed a deal to form a $11.4 billion joint venture to build and operate the Blue Oval City complex in Stanton, Tennessee, and two EV battery plants. in Glendale, Kentucky. The Stanton site will build Ford’s battery-electric F-150 Lightning pickup, as well as the second, smaller pickup that Farley has referenced.
The automaker reports strong demand for the Lightning. We will be looking for an update on how well those deliveries are going, as well as more information on Ford’s plans to increase capacity.
Raw materials
Like General Motors and other automakers, Ford contracts with suppliers of the raw materials needed to make lithium-ion batteries. The company said it has sourced 70% of the battery capacity to meet its global sales target of 2 million units by 2026.
Ford said including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in its portfolio will help reduce material costs by 10 to 15%. In contrast to the prevailing nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) chemistry, LFP reduces dependence on scarce minerals such as nickel and cobalt.
The automaker will place its LFP battery packs in Mustang Mach-E SUVs in North America starting next year, followed by F-150 Lightning pickup trucks in early 2024.
We’ll be tuning in on Wednesday on how Ford plans to use this alternative chemistry in its future EV lineup.
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