Ford’s October US vehicle sales slip

(Reuters) -Ford reported a drop in October U.S. vehicle sales, including in its highly profitable F-series pickup trucks, following a recent United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike at some of its facilities.

The automaker posted a 5.3% drop to 149,938 vehicles in total U.S. sales and a 5.1% decline in F-series pickup truck sales to 53,509 units.

While Ford on Thursday did not disclose any hit to its October sales from the strike, UAW members last month walked out at the company’s Kentucky Truck Plant that makes the F-250 and F-550 Super Duty Trucks.

Earlier this week, consultancy firm Anderson Economic Group estimated $4.3 billion in losses to the Detroit Three automakers, comprising General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis NV, through the sixth week of the strike.

Meanwhile, sales of Ford’s electric vehicles (EV) rose 9.1% to 6,831 units. Sales of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck also jumped 52.4% to 3,712 vehicles.

Last week, Ford reached a tentative deal with the union and withdrew its full-year results forecast due to uncertainty over the pending ratification of the deal.

(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Shinjini Ganguli)

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