On Thursday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation formally approved Ford Motor Company’s application for deposit insurance, clearing the regulatory hurdle for the automaker to establish its own industrial bank. This approval authorizes Ford to begin accepting deposits and offering select financial services directly to customers, a move designed to streamline lending for vehicle purchases and fleet financing. Ford’s industrial bank will operate under FDIC oversight, benefiting from insured deposit status while allowing the automaker to capture interest income that would otherwise accrue to third-party lenders. Executives project that bringing financing in-house could reduce credit costs by up to 50 basis points and generate an incremental $200 million in net interest income by 2026.

Data from Cox Automotive for calendar 2025 shows the Ford F-150 Lightning maintained its leadership in the electric pickup market, outselling its nearest competitor by a margin of over 20%. While exact figures for Lightning deliveries have not been officially disclosed, industry analysts estimate sales of approximately 25,000 units, versus 20,237 for the runner-up model. Strong demand was driven by fleet orders from utilities and municipalities, accounting for roughly 35% of total Lightning sales, and robust retail uptake in Texas and California, which together represent nearly 40% of the U.S. EV pickup market. Ford’s expanded charging partnerships and a recent over-the-air software update improving range by up to 10 miles have bolstered consumer appeal and dealer inventory turn rates by 15% year-over-year.