[RahulNagaraj]

Ford announced that the F-series has become America's best-selling truck for the 46th year in a row. The pickup truck was also the best-selling vehicle overall in America last year - a title it holds for the 41st consecutive year.

The Ford F-Series registered a total sales of 6,40,000 units in 2022, a 12 per cent drop compared to 2021 when it recorded 7,26,004 units of sales. This, however, was still low compared to the F-Series' pre-pandemic sales, when the brand was selling close to 9,00,000 trucks per year. However, even with the reduced sales numbers, Ford stated that it sold at least one F-150 truck every 49 seconds last year.



The Ford F-Series lineup includes the base F-150 XL, the F-150 Limited & the all-electric F-150 Lightning. All three models are available with a range of different powertrains, cabin configurations and trim levels, allowing it to offer something suitable for everyone.

The company also mentioned that if all the F-series trucks sold last year were lined up, they would stretch approximately the driving distance from Los Angeles to Detroit or around 3,862 km.

Link to Team-BHP news

[fast_n_curious]

In US Ford trucks out sales everything and the demand for Ford Lighting has been huge. Lighting has out sold Rivian and almost matches all the bells and whistles that Rivian has. Coming back to the numbers of F150 sold before pandemic vs after pandemic we also need to consider the overall supply chain issues that is crippling all the automobile industry.

[Jeroen]

It’s quite amazing. These days, the F150, and most if not all other pick ups have four doors and drive pretty decent and have the usual creature comforts such as electric windows, airconditioning etc.

But it wasn’t that long ago, pick up truck were pretty basic compared to regular cars. Ladder frame, fixed rear axle and just enough room to cram three people in the front and only seat.

Even so Americans love their pick ups. Makes them feel tough and independent. Actually, the pick up originated as a farmers car, replacing horse and cart. You can see why that was a big step up. Remarkably for many years pick ups were seen as a real status symbol. Living in your luxurious three car garage, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathroom suburban house, you just had to have a pick up in the drive. Obviously, you would hide your three other cars in the garage.

The wealthier Americans got, the more they downplayed it. So you would buy a pick up truck, wear jeans, get yourself some cowboy boots and a Stetson.

Anyway, if you really want to understand Americans and their love for pick ups and have a good laugh, look at this.

https://www.hotcars.com/things-picku...us-cant-stand/

Jeroen

[shaheenazk]

I wonder why Ford never got these in India ! It might have turned around their fortune.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by shaheenazk

I wonder why Ford never got these in India ! It might have turned around their fortune.

In my opinion, its lifestyle and culture. An F150 is built to haul stuff. Sheets of plywood, drywall, and all such construction stuff is 4' x 8' and it fits perfectly in the bed. I have a Ford Ranger, and such sheets fit perfectly on top of the wheel well. People who can afford a $60k truck do not do such hauling or DIY stuff in India. When I am at construction material stores, it is filled with private citizens and contractors with pickups. The same trucks are used for tailgate parties, truck bed campers, commuting, and also a family vehicle. A dog and a pickup are the salient features of any American family.

Tatamobile was a pickup launched in 1988, and pretty much nobody in an urban setting bought it. For the vast majority of Indians, pickups are ugly and dirty.

[ruzbehxyz]

Because of the success of the F150s and other pick ups, Ford has heavily invested in the US market and why not. They are doing well.

The Americans were always crazy about pick up trucks and why not. The area, highways, huge parking lots, camping trips, farms etc. are all suitable for such vehicles. Here in India pick up trucks are looked up as ugly and huge vehicles. Yes the Isuzu is doing well but still not so popular with the general public. Sadly Ford left India and this left a void in the Indian car industry. Had Ford still been there, my next car would be a Ford again. Proud owner of the 3.2 Endeavour.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

In my opinion, its lifestyle and culture. An F150 is built to haul stuff. Sheets of plywood, drywall, and all such construction stuff is 4' x 8' and it fits perfectly in the bed. I have a Ford Ranger, and such sheets fit perfectly on top of the wheel well. People who can afford a $60k truck do not do such hauling or DIY stuff in India. When I am at construction material stores, it is filled with private citizens and contractors with pickups. The same trucks are used for tailgate parties, truck bed campers, commuting, and also a family vehicle. A dog and a pickup are the salient features of any American family.

Tatamobile was a pickup launched in 1988, and pretty much nobody in an urban setting bought it. For the vast majority of Indians, pickups are ugly and dirty.

Absolutely right. The amount of stuff that folks who live in US haul is incomparable to probably anyone outside of US.

We can safely say that most of that stuff is usually unwanted and related to personal lifestyle but, that's how the Americans live their lifes.

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

The Americans were always crazy about pick up trucks and why not. The area, highways, huge parking lots, camping trips, farms etc. are all suitable for such vehicles. Here in India pick up trucks are looked up as ugly and huge vehicles. Yes the Isuzu is doing well but still not so popular with the general public. Sadly Ford left India and this left a void in the Indian car industry. Had Ford still been there, my next car would be a Ford again. Proud owner of the 3.2 Endeavour.

Big fan of Ford here too, having owned one back in India. Trucks are so easy to drive here in US as they drive almost like an SUV (size nonwithstanding).

Here I have noticed one thing. When you buy a large vehicle in US, within a year that vehicle starts feeling small as there is so much more stuff that we keep adding to me carried in car each year. Hence, trucks are the only vehicles that will never feel small so people just go and buy the biggest vehicle that is available.

Same concept cannot work in India for 2 reasons

1. Lifestyle is not similar
2. These massive trucks will not fit on to Indian roads.

[AKTransAM]

No surprise really. A modern pick-up does just about anything you would want it to-towing, grocery runs, off-roading (with the smaller pick-ups), and transporting the whole family with complete creature comforts. Essentially they're taking up the demand after sedans with V8's (that could do all of the above) stopped being manufactured due to fuel efficiency and emissions concerns. The demand was and is still there-it's just that it's been transferred to a different type of vehicle.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

It’s quite amazing. These days, the F150, and most if not all other pick ups have four doors and drive pretty decent and have the usual creature comforts such as electric windows, airconditioning etc.

They are also increasingly causing deaths of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users due to their ever increasing size and weight. The newest F-250 measures 55 inches at the hood. If an average human is hit at this height, the impact is to the chest, leading to injuries to neck, face and head. Throw in the added weight of electric versions of these pickups and they only become more lethal. American trucks and SUVs manufacturers don't think of safety beyond the steering wheel and I blame the lack of regulations, which are in turn lobbied by the car manufacturers. Pardon my french but it is a shit show here.
Add the fact that even some variants of mid size CUVs like CR-V are classified as "light duty trucks" here, which means the manufacturers enjoy more lenient emission standard for them, making them easier to meet the fleet emission requirements, and thus gives them more incentive to market them more aggressively.

EDIT:
This is a good article on the downside of EV trucks:
Electric Vehicles Are Bringing Out the Worst in Us
From the article:

Converting the transportation system from fossil fuels to electricity is essential to addressing climate change. But automakers’ focus on large, battery-powered SUVs and trucks reinforces a destructive American desire to drive something bigger, faster, and heavier than everyone else.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

In my opinion, its lifestyle and culture. An F150 is built to haul stuff.

True. But modern trucks (including the F150) are surprisingly spacious, comfortable, well-equipped & refined enough to serve as daily drivers for millions of Americans. Even those who would use the bed once in 3 months. The F150 is the ultimate combination of utility, practicality, comfort, daily driveability, reliability & style. Now also has a deadly EV option.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by GTO

True. But modern trucks (including the F150) are surprisingly spacious, comfortable, well-equipped & refined enough to serve as daily drivers for millions of Americans. Even those who would use the bed once in 3 months. The F150 is the ultimate combination of utility, practicality, comfort, daily driveability, reliability & style. Now also has a deadly EV option.

A full size SUV checks those boxes. Lincoln Navigator, Escalade, or Grand Wagoneer. The reason I mentioned culture is exactly what you described, people who never use the truck bed also buy trucks instead of SUVs. I didn't expand much on the culture part in my earlier post. It could have been their father or uncle's dream truck, so white collar execs drive them around for everything.
That truck culture has deep roots from rural work truck setting, monster jam kind of events, country music, movies etc. This culture is something that we can't just import into India overnight. I remember my son picking hot wheels monster truck models over a Ferrari or McLaren as soon as he started school. When I played with him, he would say his trucks could crush my cars any day.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by GTO

Now also has a deadly EV option.

You can say that again! Increased acceleration, increased weight, increased size and the ever decreasing capability of American drivers to think beyond themselves makes EV trucks deadly indeed.

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

A full size SUV checks those boxes.

I will do you one better. A minivan is even better than a full size SUV. The versatility of a minivan can not be beat by an SUV. Before you say but 4 wheel drive, my wife has been driving a FWD mini van for the past 8 years in the cold winters of New Hampshire. But alas, Hot Wheels doesn't make them And the macho American would not be caught dead driving one.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by GTO

True. But modern trucks (including the F150) are surprisingly spacious, comfortable, well-equipped & refined enough to serve as daily drivers for millions of Americans. Even those who would use the bed once in 3 months. The F150 is the ultimate combination of utility, practicality, comfort, daily driveability, reliability & style. Now also has a deadly EV option.

Spot on. I drove the Dodge Ram 1500 for the first time owned by our friendly BHPian "TheMag" when he visited us in Boston last year.

That test drive was an eye opener, it was luxurious, comfortable and easy to drive. After that test drive, my opinion changed that they are large, cumbersome and tough to drive vehicles.

I don't mind owning one of that in future.

Here is me taking a small spin in his truck.

https://youtu.be/6YUGwzAVQlM

And, last week met him again. This time in his own backyard (Hartford, Connecticut). Details here :

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-...ml#post5466383 (East Coast US Meet)

Originally Posted by amitoj

I will do you one better. A minivan is even better than a full size SUV. The versatility of a minivan can not be beat by an SUV. Before you say but 4 wheel drive, my wife has been driving a FWD mini van for the past 8 years in the cold winters of New Hampshire. But alas, Hot Wheels doesn't make them. And the macho American would not be caught dead driving one.

Minivans are the eptiome of growing family needs in America. Probably everyone who have 2 or more kids have owned a minivan during the kids growing up phase.

I would not put them in same shoes as a large full size SUV (Navigator, Escalade etc) as they have a totally different purpose other than space and size (Showing off being one of them...lol)

I have driven the Honda Odyssey multiple times which my sister owned for 13 years and clocked 160K miles. It's a vehicle you walk into (not get into) and space is the only criteria it's known for while large SUV's may not have same space but, have multiple other criteria's they cater too.

Yup, you are right. I too wouldn't want to be seen dead in one of them.

[swunkjyn]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

In my opinion, its lifestyle and culture. An F150 is built to haul stuff. Sheets of plywood, drywall, and all such construction stuff is 4' x 8' and it fits perfectly in the bed. I have a Ford Ranger, and such sheets fit perfectly on top of the wheel well. People who can afford a $60k truck do not do such hauling or DIY stuff in India. When I am at construction material stores, it is filled with private citizens and contractors with pickups. The same trucks are used for tailgate parties, truck bed campers, commuting, and also a family vehicle. A dog and a pickup are the salient features of any American family.

Tatamobile was a pickup launched in 1988, and pretty much nobody in an urban setting bought it. For the vast majority of Indians, pickups are ugly and dirty.

I completely agree. We have had so many pick-up trucks or UTE's like TATA Mobile,Mahindra Getaway, Isuzu Dmax and now Toyota with Hilux but none of them have been able to break into that barrier.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I would not put them in same shoes as a large full size SUV (Navigator, Escalade etc) as they have a totally different purpose other than space and size (Showing off being one of them...lol)

Only if the needs include serious off roading or towing. Other than those, there is nothing a minivan cannot do that an SUV can. Plus you get a much smaller blind spot in the front, leading to better pedestrian safety. Large SUVs can have a bling spot as large as 16 feet!! You can put a whole little league team in the front and the driver wont see them.
Blind zones in front of SUVs and trucks can lead to deadly crashes. The victims are often children, experts say