- Due to a fire at an aluminum supplier, Ford is producing fewer full-size pickups than normal.
- General Motors sees an opening and plans to ramp up its own inventory to try to gain some ground in the truck wars.
Ford’s F-Series pickup has been the best-selling vehicle line in the U.S. for nearly half a century. For much of that time, Chevrolet has run a close second.
Few things have ever threatened to disrupt that order. But a recent fire at a Ford supplier has General Motors looking for an opening.
Industry publication Automotive News reports that GM plans to increase inventory of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup lines “as a production snag at rival Ford Motor Co. presents an opportunity to gain market share.”
The problem began in September, when a fire shut down a New York plant that produces aluminum for Ford. The F-150’s design makes extensive use of the metal in both the body and the frame.
The move contributed to Ford’s decision to cancel its F-150 Lighting electric pickup (it needed the metal for more profitable gas-powered models).
AN reports, “F-150 supplies are down more than 40% since the fire.”
GM’s inventory is also lower than normal, but the company points to “factory downtime for next-generation heavy-duty truck production, as well as a strong sales finish to 2025” for that problem. Both issues can be solved much more quickly than a lack of aluminum.
So, GM “not only is looking to better meet demand but also to cut into Ford’s market share,” according to AN.
Supply and demand govern car pricing, so shoppers may have an easier time finding a GM truck at a reasonable price while Ford works to restore its supply lines.
Ram could benefit as well, AN notes. Stephanie Brinley, associate director of AutoIntelligence at S&P Global Mobility, told the outlet, “There’s potential for the market share interplay between Ram and Chevrolet to sort of move around a little bit this year.”
