United States Total Vehicle Sales

New light-vehicle sales in the United States rose on a seasonally adjusted basis by 4.2% to 15.74 million units in January 2022 from a year ago, rising for the fifth straight month, with sales in February and March also expected to increase as more inventory becomes available. Still, supply chain headwinds aren't fully in the rearview but are hindering vehicle production much less than a year ago. GM, Ford and Toyota grabbed the lion’s share of the market, with crossover and pickup trucks accounting for nearly two-thirds of sales. By powertrain, vehicles with an internal combustion engine accounted for 86.4% of sales in January, while electric (6.4%), hybrid (5.7%) and plug-in hybrid (1.4%) types took the rest.

New light-vehicle sales in the United States rose on a seasonally adjusted basis by 7.9% to 14.1 million units in November 2022 from a year ago, though it fell by 6.5% compared with October. Vehicle availability continued to improve, with inventory on the ground and in transit reaching 1.65 million units in November, up 57% year over year and up 6.9% from October. NADA’s monthly report also flagged rising transaction prices, rising interest rates and incentive spending that remains near record lows as factors that pushed new-vehicle payments higher. Moreover, the report warned that interest rates are poised to rise even higher before the end of the year, as the Fed is expected to boost rates again at its December meeting. Looking ahead to December, NADA does not expect too many surprises and projects total sales in 2022 to stand at 13.6 million units. GM, Toyota and Ford grabbed the lion’s share of the market, with crossover and pickup trucks accounting for nearly two-thirds of sales.