Ford's monthly sales totals, EVs driven less than gas cars, Rivian's new incentive deal

Hey everyone. Welcome back to another edition of the daily roundup.

Before we dive in—don't forget to keep an eye out for our CDG Week in Review coming your way tomorrow morning. It’s your chance to catch up on all the latest news from the week that you might have missed, delivered right to your inbox.

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1. Ford breaks hybrid sales record in April

Top line: Ford’s U.S. auto sales fell slightly in April, but the automaker had a record month for hybrid and EV sales, making up for the steep declines for certain gas-powered models. 

By the numbers: 

• Ford’s U.S. sales slid 2.4% to 179,588 units year-over-year.
  

• Gas-powered sales totaled 153,572 units, down 9.2% from April 2023.

  • Bronco sales declined 12%, the Bronco Sport fell 33%, the Escape dropped 28%, and the Edge declined 29%. 

  • The Explorer and the Expedition were up 5.3% and 26%, respectively.

  • Ford F-Series sales decreased 8.47% to 62,478 units.
    

• Sales of hybrid vehicles were up 60% from this time last year.

  • Sales of the F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid set a new monthly record, up 93.6%, making it “America’s top-selling full-size hybrid pickup.”

  • Hybrid sales were also buoyed by the Maverick hybrid (26,061 sold year-to-date), which continues to conquer small SUVs from other segments.

• EV sales more than doubled to 8,019 units, an increase of 129.2% from the same period in 2023.

  • The Mustang Mach-E sales reached 4,893 units, a 204.7% year-over-year.

  • The F-150 Lightning rose 56.6% to 2,090 units.

  • The E-Transit had an 85.7% increase in sales.

Context: At the beginning of April, Ford announced that it was retooling its EV timeline to focus on expanding its hybrid lineup. By the end of the decade, the automaker aims to offer hybrid powertrains across its entire lineup in North America.

What it means: Hybrids continue to be a hot-ticket item for Ford, and its decision to prioritize hybrids aligns with this consumer interest. 

Data suggests North American production of hybrids could rise to as much as 20% of total light-vehicle production by 2025, compared with 14% for EVs.

And just a few days ago, the state of California, a bellwether for industry trends, reported that hybrid registrations took 16.6% market share in Q1, up over 4% year-over-year. As EV sales slow, expect to see even more automakers pivot to offering hybrid models.

2. EVs are driven much less than gas-powered cars – study

Big picture: A main selling point of EVs is the perceived savings on “fuel” and maintenance, but recent data suggests that EVs might not be the immediate wallet-winners many think they are.

Zooming in: According to a new study, EVs are driven 20% less than gas-powered cars, and their higher upfront cost makes them 63.6% more expensive per 1,000 miles driven annually. 

This translates to $5,108 per 1,000 miles compared to $3,123 for a gasoline car.

Both hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles see minimal decreases in mileage compared to gas-powered cars: 2.7% and 4.8% less, respectively. 

This keeps their cost per 1,000 miles driven annually much closer to gasoline cars. Hybrids come in at $3,056 per 1,000 miles, while plug-in hybrids are $4,351.

Key quote: “Range anxiety and charging infrastructure are top-of-mind for EV drivers, and those factors likely limit how far owners will drive them,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst. “Hybrids and plug-in hybrids, where all-electric battery range is limited but range anxiety isn’t a factor, are driven only slightly less than gasoline cars, as reflected in their similar yearly mileage.”

Why it matters: An unreliable public charging network is exacerbating range anxiety. This causes EV owners to stick closer to home and take fewer long-distance road trips than ICE and hybrid owners. 

With Tesla laying off its entire supercharger team, it is questionable whether the public charging situation will get better in the near term. To truly maximize the fuel savings from EV ownership, drivers need to stay on the road a lot more.

3. Rivian secures $827 million incentive

At a glance: EV maker Rivian announced that it has received a massive $827 million incentive package from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. 

Rivian plans to allocate the incentives toward the expansion of its plant in Normal, IL, improvements to public infrastructure, and job training programs.

Big numbers: So far, Rivian has invested $2 billionother states will likely into its Illinois plant, which has manufactured more than 100,000 R1T and R1S electric vehicles. 

Rivian will invest an additional 1.5 billion to expand production capacity to 215,000 units annually from 150,000 and accommodate the upcoming midsized SUV, the R2.

What’s more: Originally, the upcoming R2 and R3 vehicles were going to be manufactured in Georgia. But the automaker paused construction on that $5 billion facility in March, citing a more cost-effective approach by consolidating production in Illinois.

Rivian estimates a head start on R2 production in early 2026 and savings exceeding $2.25 billion on capital spending, development, and supplier sourcing compared to their original Georgia plan.

Why it matters: The savings Rivian gets from this new plan could mean more affordable vehicles for consumers. But this cost-driven approach might have drawbacks. Focusing production on one region could create logistical bottlenecks for the automaker. Yet, it’s likely other states will follow suit with even larger incentive packages to attract EV manufacturers.

• The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has closed its investigation into the loss of rear-view camera images in nearly 160,000 Tesla Model X and Model S cars.
  

• The Jeep Gladiator will be back for the 2025 model year following a refresh this year, and it’s getting a new 4xe plug-in hybrid (PHEV) trim.
  

• Tesla backs off gigacasting manufacturing plans.
  

• BYD’s global plug-in car sales increased 49% year-over-year in April.
  

• It was easier to negotiate the price of a car last month.

We’ve got tons of great jobs hitting the CDG Job Board right now. Here are some standouts for anyone looking for their next move.

• Coming from the world of marketing? Automotive Marketing Gurus is looking for a new marketing director (remote).

• OPENLANE is looking for tons of new talent—they’re hiring market sales managers across the country. In Green Bay, Chicago, and Orlando to name a few.

• Feel at home in the dealership? Tom Whiteside Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, near Columbus, OH, is hiring a sales rep.

Looking to hire? Add your roles today—it’s 100% free.

Thanks for reading everyone. Get out there and enjoy your weekend.

— CDG