U.S. car sales in the first quarter increased by 7.5 percent year-on-year, MarketWatch wrote.
In January-March 2023, automakers sold 3.59 million cars compared to 3.34 million cars a year earlier.
General Motors sales were up 17.6%, Nissan sales were up 17.3%, Honda Motor Co. sales were up 11.7%, Hyundai sales were up 15.5% and Kia sales were up 21.8%. Stellantis and Toyota worsened by 9.1% and 8.8%, respectively.
The average car loan interest rate reached a 15-year high of 7%, and the average monthly payment for a new car was a record $730.
In 2022, automakers couldn’t meet demand due to a chip shortage and sold only 13.9 million cars. Previously, about 17 million cars were sold in a year. This year, sales will total 14.8 million cars, analyst firm Edmunds predicts.
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.
British-Ukrainian Aid (British-Ukrainian Aid) and volunteers donated two ambulances and medicines to Ukraine.
On April 17, volunteers-citizens of Ukraine and the public organization British-Ukrainian Aid (British-Ukrainian Aid) handed over two ambulances to Ukraine and representatives of the Armed Forces. In addition, medicines were handed over from English friends. Now such cars are one of the most necessary types of transport both at the front and at the rear, because minimizing damage to citizens and timely medical care will save lives.
The organizer of the delivery of cars Valery Polshkov, Alexander Bobylev and the construction company “Liko-Holding”. According to Valeriy Polshkov, prompt delivery of the car from Britain became possible thanks to the joint efforts of volunteers and the well-coordinated work of the state bodies of Ukraine.
“I am grateful to the State Border Service and the State Customs Service for their efficient work. The cars crossed the border in 20 minutes and have already been handed over to representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” V. Polshkov emphasized.
Also, Oleg Chomko and his company “Badzinger Auto” were directly involved in the escort and transfer of cars from Britain to Ukraine.
British-Ukrainian Aid, bringing together the efforts of the UK and Ukraine, offers humanitarian and medical assistance to the wounded, veterans, orphans, the elderly, internally displaced persons, refugees and families who have lost their military breadwinner. All members of the group are volunteers and work on charitable projects after their main work.
Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UvhN6AEOQwhttps://youtu.be/GBuvOMz-nH
#BADZINGER AUTO, AMBULANCE, AUTO, BOBYLEV, POLSHKOV, VOLUNTEER, ЛИКО-ХОЛДИНГ
The sales of new trucks weighing over 3.5 tonnes in January-July this year increased by 72.6% compared to the same period in 2020, to 2,746 units, according to AUTO-Consulting.
According to information on its website, 521 trucks were sold in July, which is 30.9% more than in the same month last year.
“Road construction continues to be the market driver. Dump trucks are bought like “hotcakes,” and it was the supply of equipment for road workers in July that changed the balance of power in the market,” analysts say.
Leadership in July 2021, as in the previous year, was retained by Belarusian-based MAZ with a market share of 15% and the sale of 78 vehicles (five more than in July 2020).
German-based MAN, which came in second with a margin of three vehicles, became the leader in the heavy-duty truck segment at the same time.
Scania maintained its third position, adding 30% in sales, to 70 vehicles and taking 13.4% of the market, and in the heavy segment it ranked second.
“In July, these three manufacturers managed to break away from competitors in terms of supplies and each sold more than 70 units of equipment,” the experts state.
The fourth was Ford Trucks with 55 vehicles sold and an increase of 72%, and Volvo ranked fifth in July (compared to the ninth place a year earlier) with the largest growth of 2.7 times, to 38 units.
A year earlier, the third and fourth lines of the July rating were occupied by Renault and Mercedes-Benz (in July this year – the eighth and sixth lines of the rating, respectively).
Primary registrations of new passenger cars in Ukraine in January-May this year increased by a third compared to the same period in 2020, to 39,600 units, Ukrautoprom association has reported.
According to the association, including in May, primary registrations grew by 43% compared to the same month of 2020, to almost 8,500 units, which, according to the association, was the best May result over the past eight years (since 2013).
At the same time, compared to April of this year, sales decreased 15%.
The most popular brand of the month, as in May last year, was Toyota with an increase in registrations by 9%, to 1,122 cars, the second place was again taken by Renault with 1,067 registrations (a quarter more), Kia was in third place, which sold 629 cars (6% less).
The fourth position (as in the previous year) was taken by Skoda with a 116% increase by May 2020, to 624 cars. Nissan closes the top five with 415 cars (a rise of 158%), which in May last year occupied the 13th position (and Mercedes was in fifth place).
The top ten of the May market also includes: Chery with 411 cars (a rise of 240% and moved from the 16th position in May 2020); Hyundai with 409 cars (a rise of 62%); Volkswagen with 393 cars (a rise of 438% and a climb from 19th place); Mazda with 345 cars (a rise of 65%, but deterioration by 2 positions); Peugeot with 340 cars (a rise of 74%, in May 2020 it occupied the ninth position).
The bestseller of the month was the Toyota RAV-4 with 472 registrations.
In turn, according to data from the Auto-Consulting information and analytical group posted on its website on Tuesday, May sales of new passenger cars grew by 49% compared to May last year, to 8,714 cars (but decreased 10.7% compared with April 2021).
“Two brands are already consistently selling more than 1,100 cars a month, and half of the top ten go beyond the figure of more than 500 cars,” the analysts of the group said.
According to them, the five best-selling brands coincide with the rating of Ukrautoprom, while Toyota and Renault each took 13% of the Ukrainian market, Kia – 7.3%, Skoda – 7.23% and Nissan – almost 4.9% %.
The experts said that in the premium segment there is still a struggle for leadership among the brands of the German Big Three – in May Mercedes-Benz (275 cars), BMW (269 cars) and Audi (187) finished tightly again.
In general, according to the group, more than 39,734 new cars were sold in January-May 2021, which is 34% more than a year earlier.
“The upward trend of the Ukrainian car market is already the third month in a row, which gives reason to expect very good indicators for the year,” Auto-Consulting said.
Sales of new passenger cars in October of this year decreased by 8.2% compared to the same month of 2019, to 8,340 cars, which is 602 cars (or 7.8%) more than in September of this year, AUTO-Consulting said on Monday.
In October, Renault returned to be a leader, managing to increase sales by 39% compared with September 2020, to 1,413 cars, while Toyota, which finished second, reduced sales by almost 3%, to 1,343 cars. The third position was taken by Kia with an increase in sales compared with September 2020 by 76.3%, to 825 cars.
AUTO-Consulting said that in October of this year, the fourth place was taken by Skoda (compared to the sixth in September), with a 43% increase in sales, and Volkswagen remained in the top five best sellers, but the sales of this brand decreased by 26%.
“An important event in October was Peugeot’s breakthrough to seventh place (from 16th in September 2020) with a 114% increase in sales, to 335 cars. Peugeot has already finished in the top 10 several times throughout the year, and it looks like the current success will become systemic,” AUTO-Consulting said.
At the same time, according to analysts’ estimates, it was indicative in October that key premium brands – Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus – remained without significant sales growth and finished with a decline in sales.
Taking into account October sales, the car market in January-October decreased by 3.3% compared to the same period in 2019.
