Car sales in the United States suffered greatly from the pandemic throughout the year but ended 2020 with a rebound which should continue in the months to come.
Read also: The French still addicted to the car
The number one sector in the country, General Motors, saw its sales fall by 11.8%, while those of Toyota fell by 11.3%.
Japanese manufacturer Nissan was hit even harder, with sales falling 33.2% over the year in the United States, while sales by South Korean groups Hyundai and German Volkswagen fell 10%.
Only the manufacturer of electric vehicles Tesla seems to have done well: it said on Saturday that it saw its sales increase by 36% worldwide in 2020, to 499,550 units.
Read also: Tesla ready to stay in the race after its meteoric rise in 2020
The auto industry came to a halt in the spring when the spread of the virus suddenly led to the temporary shutdown of factories and many dealerships in the United States.
But the production sites have gradually reopened with the implementation of strict sanitary measures.
And despite a particularly high unemployment rate, government aid and lower spending on leisure activities have supported demand for new vehicles.
"Sales to individuals began to recover in May and returned to their pre-pandemic level during the fourth quarter," said
GM.
For several major manufacturers, the year-end figures point to a recovery in 2021: GM sales rose 4.8% in the fourth quarter and Toyota's 9.4%.
GM even recorded its best quarter in personal sales since 2007.
For both groups, activity was supported by demand for city pick-ups and 4x4s (SUVs), which are more expensive than city cars.
At GM, this helped drive the average price of vehicles sold to an all-time high.
And the group explains that it expects
"the recovery of the US economy to continue in 2021"
.
"The deployment of vaccination (against Covid-19) and warmer weather should allow consumers and businesses to return to a more normal level of activity, thus fueling the labor market, consumer confidence and demand automotive, ”
explained GM chief economist Elaine Buckberg in the document.
"The sector is starting 2021 on solid foundations"
According to estimates by specialist firm Cox Automotive released in December, total car sales in the United States are expected to decline 15.3% year-round to 14.4 million vehicles, which would be the lowest figure since 2011.
"The radical turnaround in new car sales over the past eight months has thwarted what could have been an even darker year for the automotive industry
,
"
comments Karl Brauer of the specialist site Iseecars.
Manufacturers and dealers have benefited in particular from the drop in sales for corporate fleets, less profitable than those for individuals, and the rise in vehicle prices, he said in a note.
“These elements will last in 2021, especially since the supply (disrupted by plant closures, Editor's note) does not necessarily meet demand,”
adds the specialist.
"We have returned to normal much faster than we thought"
and
"the sector begins 2021 on solid foundations"
, adds Charles Chesbrough, economist for Cox, in an interview with AFP.
"The key question remains to know what scale the pandemic will take again"
, he adds.
It cannot be ruled out that sales fell back a bit again in the first quarter, but the second half
“will potentially be one of the busiest we have ever seen”
.
Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Honda have yet to release their figures.