It was a pretty good year, sales-wise, for both General Motors and Ford Motor Co., though not so much for Stellantis in 2023.
GM said Wednesday it sold 2.6 million vehicles, a 14-percent increase from its 2022 totals. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. officials said Ford’s U.S. sales were 7.1% higher, its best year since 2020.
Stellantis said its sales dipped by 1 percent, although sales of its Chrysler and Dodge models were actually up by 19 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
GM’s 2023 sales were the best it’s done since 2019, when it sold 2.9 million vehicles in the United States. GM saw an uptick in every brand, led by a 61-percent increase for Buick. GMC’s sales were up 9 percent, Chevrolet’s 13 percent and Cadillac’s 9 percent. GM also benefitted from a massive (93 percent) increase in electric vehicle sales. The carmaker sold 75,883 EVs in 2023.
“GM has tremendous momentum. We grew our market share in 2023, maintaining strong pricing and low incentives. We led the industry in trucks and had great success with our affordable SUVs, some of today’s hottest-selling vehicles,” Marissa West, GM senior vice president and president of North America, told The Detroit News. “In 2024, we expect industry sales to remain strong and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead as we expand customer choice with new vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Cadillac Escalade IQ.”
Ford sold nearly 2 million vehicles in 2023, up from some 1.86 million in 2022. Although its sales of EVs was up 18 percent in 2023 over 2022, it pales in comparison to the 126 percent EV sales jumped from 2021 to 2022. Ford was still second in EV sales behind Tesla in 2023.
“In a year of challenges, from a labor strike to supply issues, our amazing lineup of gas, electric and hybrid vehicles and our fantastic dealers delivered solid growth and momentum. We have the products that customers want,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. “I am especially proud Ford remained the No. 2 EV brand in America and our next-gen, digitally advanced new EVs are on the way. Now we are spring-loaded for 2024 with new versions coming of our most popular trucks and SUVs, a full year of new Super Duty and Mustang, and a big year for Lincoln.”
Stellantis, meanwhile, sold 1.527 million new vehicles in 2023, a decrease from some 1.547 million sold in 2023. In the fourth quarter, Stellantis’ sales dropped 1%. Dealers sold almost 344,000 vehicles, down from close to 348,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022, the News reported.
Jeep sales fell 6%, Ram 1%, Fiat 34% and Alfa Romeo 15%.
Stellantis pointed to its its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales, which were up 124 percent in 2023 and 118 percent in the fourth quarter year-over-year.
“As we navigate the wide-ranging transformations occurring within the automotive industry,” Jeff Kommor, Stellantis’ head of U.S. sales, said in a statement, “we are focused on achieving our Dare Forward strategic plan, and we will continue to work closely with our customers to meet their demands and the needs of our dealer network in pursuit of that goal.”
