Ford E-Series sales decreased 22 percent to 10,791 units in the United States during the first quarter of 2019.
| MODEL | Q1 2019 / Q1 2018 | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-SERIES | -22.33% | 10,791 | 13,893 |
Ford E-Series sales slowed during the first quarter of 2019, with sales volume shrinking by more than 22 percent. In comparison, the Ford Transit sales (see Ford Transit sales) grew almost 5 percent, which allowed it to maintain a leading segment share of 38 percent.
The E-Series, on the other hand, took fourth place in its competitive set. Beating out the E-Series in total sales volume were the Chevrolet Express (see Chevy Express sales) and the Ram ProMaster (see Ram ProMaster sales). Meanwhile, the Nissan NV, and the Chevy Express’ twin – the GMC Savana (see GMC Savana sales), lagged behind the E-Series. However, we should note that it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, since the E-Series is only available as a cutaway model while all other models are also available as full-bodied vans.
| MODEL | Q1 19 / Q1 18 | Q1 19 | Q1 18 | Q1 19 SHARE | Q1 18 SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORD TRANSIT | +4.91% | 31,842 | 30,351 | 38% | 38% |
| CHEVROLET EXPRESS | -12.94% | 17,215 | 19,774 | 20% | 25% |
| RAM PROMASTER | +106.27% | 13,319 | 6,457 | 16% | 8% |
| FORD E-SERIES | -22.33% | 10,791 | 13,893 | 13% | 18% |
| GMC SAVANA | +36.88% | 6,566 | 4,797 | 8% | 6% |
| NISSAN NV | +19.61% | 4,507 | 3,768 | 5% | 5% |
| TOTAL | +6.58% | 84,240 | 79,040 |
It’s worth noting that both of Ford’s offerings in this space, the Transit and E-Series, saw cumulative deliveries of about 43,000 units, taking 51 percent of the segment share during the quarter. Meanwhile, Ford’s crosstown rival – General Motors – trailed in second place with about 29 percent market share, as Chevy Express and GMC Savana deliveries totaled less than 24,00 units.
The full-size mainstream van segment, which includes passenger, cargo, and cutaway/chassis cab models, expanded nearly 7 percent to 84,240 units in Q1 2019.
The drop in Ford E-Series sales isn’t great news, but it’s still a respectable result given the age of the vehicle and internal competition from the Ford Transit. Even so, it should be noted that E-Series sales cannot be compared directly to those of the Transit or any other model in the space, since Ford no longer offers the E-Series in cargo or passenger configurations. No matter, it is highly impressive is that Ford commanded more than half of the share of the segment during the first quarter.
It will be interesting to see how things unfold in the near future, especially with electrified Transit models on the horizon. Specifically, Ford has plans for an all-electric Transit as well as a Transit PHEV. At the time of this writing, both models have been announced only for European markets, and not for North America.
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