U.S. auto sales in 2022 are down 8% to 13.7 million, data from research firm Wards Intelligence show.
This is the worst figure since 2011, writes The Wall Street Journal. Sales exceeded the 17 million car mark for five consecutive years before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
A number of auto executives were encouraged by the relatively strong fourth-quarter sales volume amid an improving parts supply situation. Now, however, some experts fear there could be demand problems amid rising interest rates and high inflation putting negative pressure on potential buyers.
“Things are going to get a lot tougher in 2023,” said Hyundai U.S. head Randy Parker, referring to rising interest rates. His company reported a slight decline in sales last year.
“At the beginning of last year, the industry as a whole was planning to sell more than 16 million vehicles,” notes Toyota Motor’s North American sales director Jack Hollis. But companies quickly retracted their projections as companies were forced to suspend or reduce production because of shortages of parts, and primarily chips.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Hollis believes. He said there are early signs that parts shortages and rising raw material prices are easing. Many automakers reported improved sales near the end of last year as chip supplies began to improve.
Toyota’s Hollis predicts that 15 million cars will be sold in the U.S. in 2023. Edmunds analysts estimate the figure will be 14.8 million.
Nissan Motor’s sales fell about 25 percent last year, but declined only 2 percent in the fourth quarter amid increased availability of semiconductors. “The situation has definitely gotten better,” said Judy Wheeler, who oversees Nissan’s U.S. sales.
Electric cars in the country accounted for about 6 percent of the market in 2022, up from about 3 percent a year earlier, according to J.D. Power.
That included Tesla increasing production of electric cars by 47% to 1.37 million in 2022. The company’s deliveries rose 40% to 1.31 million.
As reported, General Motors regained leadership in the U.S. market last year, overtaking Japan’s Toyota in sales.
GM sales rose 3% to 2,274,088,000 vehicles. Sales of electric cars jumped 58% to 39,179,000, the company said.
Toyota sold 2 million 108,458,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year, 10% less than in 2021. At the same time, sales of cars with electric motors, including hybrids, decreased 14% to 504,016 thousand, according to the automaker.
In 2021, Toyota for the first time became the sales leader in the U.S. market, surpassing GM, which has retained the first position since 1931.
A new package of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, including Bradley BMPs, will be announced Friday, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said.
“I can confirm that the announcement of the next batch of military aid to Ukraine is expected on Friday. As outlined by the White House, that assistance will include deliveries of Bradley combat vehicles,” he told reporters.
The Associated Press earlier reported citing U.S. officials that the U.S. will send Ukraine a new package of military aid worth $2.85 billion, which for the first time will include several dozen unified tracked Bradley platforms. This delivery will be the largest in a series of military equipment packages that the Pentagon has allocated to Kiev.
In addition to the Bradley, Ukraine will also receive HMMWV military cargo vans, MRAP armored wheeled vehicles with enhanced mine protection, as well as a large shipment of missiles and other munitions.
Reuters reported that the U.S. will supply about 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to Ukriane.
Politico quoted its sources as saying that the United States for the first time will supply Ukraine with Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles, ground-launched radar-guided missiles designed to intercept aircraft or cruise missiles.
The publication notes that only Taiwan has the land-based version of the Sea Sparrow in service. The US Navy and close allies use the ship-based version.
The U.S. will finance the purchase of $53 million worth of power grid equipment to restore Ukraine’s energy system, CNN reported, citing a U.S. State Department report.
“This supply package will include distribution transformers, circuit breakers, arresters, disconnectors, vehicles and other key equipment,” the report specifies.
The funds will be in addition to the $55 million already provided for emergency support of the country’s energy sector.
The number of registered cases of coronavirus infection in the world as of Sunday morning reached 535 million 63 thousand 535, according to data from the American Johns Hopkins University.
Since the beginning of the spread of the virus in the world, 6 million 308 thousand 976 people have died from the consequences of infection with COVID-19.
Countries with more than 20 million infections continue to include the United States, India, Brazil, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The number of infected and those who died from the consequences of infection, respectively, amounted to:
USA – 85 million 500 thousand 976 and 1 million 11 thousand 260.
India – 43 million 222 thousand 17 and 524 thousand 761.
Brazil – 31 million 445 thousand 137 and 668 thousand 74.
France – 29 million 946 thousand 603 and 149 thousand 788.
Germany – 26 million 803 thousand 867 and 139 thousand 806.
Great Britain – 22 million 571 thousand 880 and 179 thousand 884.
According to the Worldometer portal, which specializes in statistics on major world events, the death rate per 1 million people on the planet reached 812.2 on Sunday morning. In the USA, 3 thousand 94 people died per 1 million inhabitants, India – 373, Brazil – 3 thousand 101, France – 2 thousand 269, Germany – 1 thousand 663, Great Britain – 2 thousand 613.
The U.S. will fully resume the work of its embassy in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said.
“We will fully resume the work of the U.S. Embassy and fully resume the work of its staff,” Brink said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed Russia’s aggression in Ukraine during a telephone conversation on Saturday, the U.S. State Department reports.
“The Secretary [speaking about the situation in Ukraine] noted the world is watching to see which nations stand up for the basic principles of freedom, self-determination and sovereignty,” the State Department’s press release reads.
As noted in the department, Blinken told his Chinese counterpart that the countries of the world act in concert in relation to Russia “ensuring that Moscow will pay a high price.”
Earlier this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China intends to continue cooperation with Russia in the field of trade and does not support any illegal unilateral sanctions.
Beijing, for its part, welcomed the start of negotiations between representatives of Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that the parties will continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation around Ukraine.
