US car market grows strongly - 15.5 million cars
In the USA, car manufacturers once again handed over significantly more cars to customers last year. In the end, the market grew significantly. However, there are now increasing signs of a slowdown. Stocks are already filling up again.
Better availability and higher demand helped the US car market to make a comeback last year. However, this year could prove to be difficult for car manufacturers. Inventories are already rising again and customers have less money available for car purchases. Based on initial figures, analysts are forecasting just under 15.5 million cars sold, which would correspond to an increase of 13 percent compared to the previous year.
General Motors once again takes the top spot with 2.6 million vehicles sold. The Group sold 14 percent more cars to customers over the course of the year. However, growth weakened significantly in the fourth quarter. Figures from Ford and Jeep manufacturer Stellantis are not yet available.
Among the German manufacturers, Audi set a new sales record in the USA with an increase of 22 percent to 228,550 vehicles. The premium brand pointed above all to the strong demand for battery-electric cars. In the fourth quarter, growth amounted to 12 percent. The other German manufacturers have not yet announced their figures.
Toyota achieved an increase of just under 7 percent to around 2.3 million vehicles in the year. Battery-powered and hybrid models did particularly well. They accounted for almost a third of sales. In the final quarter, the Japanese group was able to accelerate its growth to a good 15 percent. Nissan Motor increased its sales by 23.2 percent for the year as a whole and by 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter. Korea's Hyundai Motor recorded its best sales year ever in the USA with an increase of 11 percent.
Supply bottlenecks and production interruptions had weighed on sales figures since the outbreak of the pandemic. 2022 was then the weakest year for the industry in more than a decade. The situation eased again last year. As a result, prices for cars are falling. However, they are still well above the pre-crisis level from 2019.
Read also:
- Why there is still no EU funding for green Saar steel
- 3 billion Saar Fund is unconstitutional
- Lack of snow also opens up new opportunities for winter tourism
- Abrupt end to e-car subsidies
- Despite the strong growth in the US car market, Japanese car manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan Motor experienced significant increases in sales, outperforming some of their US and German counterparts.
- Meanwhile, German car manufacturers, such as Audi, also saw a surge in demand, particularly for electric vehicles, but their U.S. sales figures have yet to be released, while American automakers like Ford and Jeep manufacturer Stellantis are also waiting to share their results.
- The economic situation of the auto industry in the USA is being thoroughly impacted by these sales figures, with key players like Japanese car manufacturers and German car manufacturers heavily influencing the overall market trend.
Source: www.ntv.de
