The Ford auto company will stop taking orders for the model year 2022 Maverick this Thursday. So if you’ve been meaning to buy the company’s new mid-size truck, you’re running out of time.
Company spokesman Michael Levine said that after Thursday, buyers will have to wait until the summer to reserve a model year 2023 Maverick. The halt only applies to retail consumer orders; if you need a Maverick for business or government purposes, you can still order after the Thursday deadline.
Ford did not specify just how many Maverick’s have been ordered as of late. But an unforeseen uptick in popularity paired with ongoing supply chain issues probably led to the decision to halt orders. Automakers all across the industry report issues obtaining the raw materials needed to manufacture cars and trucks. Computer chips, especially, are in high demand.
“I wonder if it’s not a little bit more popular than they expected combined with continuing supply change issues,” said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader.com.
What’s so special about the new Ford Maverick?
The new Ford compact truck just went on sale for the first time this past fall in 2021. Ford hasn’t offered a compact truck for almost a decade. In 2012, the company discontinued the original Ranger, citing a consumer disinterest in small trucks and a lack of engineering overlap with other truck models like the F-150. Ford still sells a mid-sized Ranger, but the new Maverick is smaller.
Ford said it received 100,000 orders for the truck, which sounds like a lot, and is impressive for the niche vehicle. For comparison’s sake, Ford sells about the same number of F-150s in a month and a half domestically. Therefore, Maverick sales pale in comparison; but still, the company has to be pleased with the popularity.
In terms of construction, the new truck shares engineering with the Escape and Bronco Sport Crossover. The same plant in Mexico produces both the Bronco and the Maverick, which comes in both hybrid and non-hybrid models.
Hybrids usually mean higher prices, but not this one
The hybrid Maverick is the lowest-priced entry-level truck on the market. For only $20,000, truck enthusiasts can purchase the electric vehicle and skip the routine trips to the gas pumps that truck owners know all too well.
Usually, a hybrid costs more than a purely combustion engine because of the additional battery power needed. Ford managed to get this truck to consumers for less than half the price of most new trucks though. Most Maverick owners are paying around $26,000 including options for their new rides. The average new truck on the market goes for around $46,000.
Ivan Drury, an analyst with the automotive website Edmunds.com, said that the price is driving sales.
“This thing is turning over as fast as any vehicle in the industry,” he said.
