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How Does Ford Plan to Sustain Its Leadership in US Manufacturing?
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Key Takeaways
Ford led U.S. auto assembly, exports and jobs in 2025, producing over 2.4M vehicles domestically.
Ford builds over six vehicles in the U.S. for every one it imports, leading the industry.
Ford plans hiring and investments to support new gas, hybrid, EV and battery production.
Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) manufactures about 80% of the vehicles it sells in the United States, which positions it as one of the country’s largest automakers. The company maintains a significant domestic manufacturing footprint, supporting numerous jobs both directly and indirectly while contributing substantially to the broader economy. Last year, it added several more domestic achievements to its record.
In 2025, Ford led all automakers in U.S. vehicle assembly, exports and the number of hourly manufacturing jobs provided nationwide. The company built and sold 1.8 million vehicles domestically in 2025, exported 311,000 units and imported 378,000 from other countries, per Ford Authority. Altogether, Ford produced 2,446,486 vehicles in the United States, more than any competitor. It also assembled nearly 350,000 more light-duty vehicles than any other manufacturer, marking its ninth consecutive year of leadership in this category.
Over the past 17 years, Ford has ranked as America’s top automotive assembler in 16 of those years. It employed 56,300 hourly manufacturing workers in the United States last year, again more than any other automaker. Additionally, the company assembles more than six vehicles domestically for every one unit it imports, leading the industry in that metric as well.
Per Ford’s CEO Jim Farley, the company plans to continue investing in its U.S. operations. The company and its subsidiaries intend to hire thousands of workers in the coming years to support the launch of new gasoline, hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as batteries and energy storage systems. Preparations are already underway for major production launches at several U.S. facilities, including plants in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. F carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
2025 Production Numbers for Other Automakers
In 2025, Tesla, Inc. (TSLA - Free Report) manufactured more than 1.65 million vehicles, with about 1.6 million of those being Model 3 and Model Y units. Tesla plans to scale back production of the Model S and Model X by the second quarter of 2026 and eventually discontinue them. The space currently used for producing these models at Tesla’s Fremont facility is expected to be repurposed into a factory for Optimus robots, with a long-term target of producing up to one million units annually.
Meanwhile, Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID - Free Report) produced 18,378 vehicles in 2025. Its output was boosted by a strong fourth quarter, during which it built 8,412 vehicles, an increase of 148% from the same period in 2024. This surge helped Lucid reach its annual production goal despite a slower start earlier in the year. Lucid has also reaffirmed its 2026 production forecast, expecting to produce between 25,000 and 27,000 vehicles.
F’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Ford has outperformed the Zacks Automotive-Domestic industry in the last six months. Its shares have gained 8.3% against the industry’s decline of 7.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation perspective, F appears undervalued. Going by its price/sales ratio, the company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 0.29, lower than the industry’s 3.12.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ford’s 2026 EPS has moved up 7 cents in the past 90 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for F’s 2027 EPS has moved up 3 cents in the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
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How Does Ford Plan to Sustain Its Leadership in US Manufacturing?
Key Takeaways
Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) manufactures about 80% of the vehicles it sells in the United States, which positions it as one of the country’s largest automakers. The company maintains a significant domestic manufacturing footprint, supporting numerous jobs both directly and indirectly while contributing substantially to the broader economy. Last year, it added several more domestic achievements to its record.
In 2025, Ford led all automakers in U.S. vehicle assembly, exports and the number of hourly manufacturing jobs provided nationwide. The company built and sold 1.8 million vehicles domestically in 2025, exported 311,000 units and imported 378,000 from other countries, per Ford Authority. Altogether, Ford produced 2,446,486 vehicles in the United States, more than any competitor. It also assembled nearly 350,000 more light-duty vehicles than any other manufacturer, marking its ninth consecutive year of leadership in this category.
Over the past 17 years, Ford has ranked as America’s top automotive assembler in 16 of those years. It employed 56,300 hourly manufacturing workers in the United States last year, again more than any other automaker. Additionally, the company assembles more than six vehicles domestically for every one unit it imports, leading the industry in that metric as well.
Per Ford’s CEO Jim Farley, the company plans to continue investing in its U.S. operations. The company and its subsidiaries intend to hire thousands of workers in the coming years to support the launch of new gasoline, hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as batteries and energy storage systems. Preparations are already underway for major production launches at several U.S. facilities, including plants in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. F carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
2025 Production Numbers for Other Automakers
In 2025, Tesla, Inc. (TSLA - Free Report) manufactured more than 1.65 million vehicles, with about 1.6 million of those being Model 3 and Model Y units. Tesla plans to scale back production of the Model S and Model X by the second quarter of 2026 and eventually discontinue them. The space currently used for producing these models at Tesla’s Fremont facility is expected to be repurposed into a factory for Optimus robots, with a long-term target of producing up to one million units annually.
Meanwhile, Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID - Free Report) produced 18,378 vehicles in 2025. Its output was boosted by a strong fourth quarter, during which it built 8,412 vehicles, an increase of 148% from the same period in 2024. This surge helped Lucid reach its annual production goal despite a slower start earlier in the year. Lucid has also reaffirmed its 2026 production forecast, expecting to produce between 25,000 and 27,000 vehicles.
F’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Ford has outperformed the Zacks Automotive-Domestic industry in the last six months. Its shares have gained 8.3% against the industry’s decline of 7.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation perspective, F appears undervalued. Going by its price/sales ratio, the company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 0.29, lower than the industry’s 3.12.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ford’s 2026 EPS has moved up 7 cents in the past 90 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for F’s 2027 EPS has moved up 3 cents in the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research