Feb 2 Reuters Ford Motor reported an about 11 fall in January sales of electric vehicles EV on Friday, as the industry grapples with shrinking demand for the cars that are typically costlier than their gasolinepowered counterparts.

The Dearborn, Michiganbased automaker sold 4,674 EVs in January, compared with 5,247 units sold during the same period last year.

The EV demand slowdown due to elevated interest rates, which means higher loan payments for buyers, has prompted some automakers to cut production.

Last month, Ford said it would reduce production of its marquee F150 Lightning electric pickup truck at its Michigan Rouge EV plant, and increase production of gaspowered Bronco SUVs and Ranger pickups.

High prices of EVs and concerns about the limited range of these cars, especially in rural areas due to lack of charging infrastructure, have fueled sales of hybrid vehicles.

Last year, Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley said the company had plans to quadruple sales of gaselectric hybrids over the next five years.

Ford39;s total sales for January were up 4.3 at 152,617 vehicles, helped by a 42.7 jump in hybrid vehicle sales.

Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli

Source Reuters