The spread of the corona virus paralyzes economies around the world. Auto sales in the United States fell sharply in the first quarter, but the standstill has only just begun.
Detroit (dpa) - Customers stay at home, dealers close: Like many other industries, the US auto industry is suffering badly from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
Market leader General Motors (GM) and rival Fiat Chrysler reported sharp declines in first quarter sales. The German industry giant Volkswagen has also had to make significant cuts. The March numbers in particular are a bad omen for what is likely to come.
VW has sold 75,075 cars in the past three months, 13 percent fewer vehicles than in the previous year, as the company announced at its US headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Sales rose 9.4 percent from January to February, before falling 42 percent in March due to the spread of Covid-19 lung disease. The focus is now on the greatest possible stability for customers, employees and dealers, said sales manager Duncan Movassaghi.
The VW sports car subsidiary Porsche has already clearly felt the corona crisis. With 11,994 cars, the top-class manufacturer got rid of 20.2 percent fewer vehicles than in the same period last year. As in Europe, many dealers had to close in the United States. Despite the short-term uncertainty, Porsche wants to offer security and help to all employees and customers, said US chief Klaus Zellmer. That would prepare Porsche to come back all the more energetically.
BMW also had to cope with a significant drop in sales. The minus for the subsidiary Mini was particularly clear at 35.1 percent. The BMW core brand recorded a decline of 15.3 percent.
At US market leader GM, the decline in sales in the first quarter was still limited at minus seven percent. However, the corona crisis in the United States only really took off in March - the car company has no concrete figures for this period. The clear quarterly loss shows how bleak the situation is. Investors reacted nervously, temporarily dropping GM's share price in US stock exchange trading by more than seven percent.
Fiat Chrysler has sold ten percent fewer cars in the U.S. market in the past three months. The second largest US carmaker Ford does not want to present its figures until this Thursday. The devastating consequences of the corona pandemic for business became even clearer for manufacturers who publish monthly sales reports. Hyundai, for example, got 43 percent fewer new cars from US customers in March than in the previous year. Mazda and Mitsubishi suffered losses of 42 percent and 52 percent, respectively.
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