After scaling back EV plans, Ford (NYSE: F) is losing ground in the US. With fewer than 7,000 EVs sold in the first quarter, Toyota’s bZ electric SUV outsold Ford’s combined lineup.
Ford Q1 2026 EV sales drop 70% in the US
Just a year ago, who would’ve thought that Toyota would be selling more electric vehicles than Ford on its home turf?
The US electric vehicle market has changed significantly over the past year, with the Trump administration rolling back federal incentives and new models arriving.
While the policy changes caused many automakers, including Ford and GM, to pull back EV plans, Toyota quietly introduced three new electric SUVs: The 2026 bZ, C-HR, and bZ Woodland.
After launching the updated bZ in late 2025, formerly the bZ4X, Toyota’s electric SUV is off to a surprisingly strong start.
In the first quarter, Toyota sold just over 10,000 electric bZ SUVs in the US, up 79% from 5,610 in Q1 2025. Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus also saw considerably higher demand for the updated 2026 RZ, with Q1 sales rising 206% to 4,456.
Ford, on the other hand, sold 6,860 EVs combined in Q1 2026, 70% fewer than the over 22,500 it sold in the first quarter of 2025.
By model, Ford sold 4,600 Mustang Mach-E’s, down 60% year-over-year, 2,060 F-150 Lightning pickups (-71% YOY), and 200 E-Transit vans (-95% YOY).
Toyota isn’t the only one outselling Ford in the US EV market either. Hyundai sold nearly 9,800 IONIQ 5’s in the first quarter alone, again, more than Ford’s electric vehicle lineup combined.
General Motors remained the number two EV seller in the US, behind Tesla, with 25,900 models delivered in the first quarter.
Electrek’s Take
So, how did we get here? As part of its updated Ford+ plan, the company discontinued the F-150 Lightning EV, once America’s top-selling electric pickup, with plans to replace it with an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) version around 2027.
Ford is also betting on its Universal EV (UEV) platform for an upcoming series of smaller, more affordable (and profitable) electric vehicles.
The first EV based on the UEV platform will be a midsize electric pickup, due out in 2027, that Ford says will start around $30,000.
Meanwhile, Toyota, widely considered the biggest laggard in the shift to all-electric vehicles, updated its electric SUV where it matters most with more driving range, more convenient charging, and a refined style inside and out. It also starts at under $35,000.
Toyota now has three electric SUVs on sale with the 2026 bZ, C-HR, and bZ Woodland, plus the Lexus RZ. Later this year, the three-row Highlander BEV will join the lineup.
While it’s still early, the updates seem to be paying off. Who would’ve thought that an affordable electric SUV with over 300 miles of range would sell?
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
