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Fewer cars made equals fewer cars sold. The numbers for 2022 are starting to fall and the global trend is down.
As a result of spare parts shortages and supply chain disruptions, sales are at an all-time low. Unheard of for thirty years in the United Kingdom. One million six hundred thousand new registrations last year, 25% less than before the pandemic and the lowest figure since 1992. Lockdowns in China have caused a lack of semiconductors and manufacturers have multiplied delays .
Sales at lowest in Japan since 1977
Sales also fell in Japan where they have never been so low for forty-five years. The Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Nissan or Mitsubishi are all in decline. In the United States, General Motors took over the lead in sales. American sales which should also fall to less than 14 million new cars. Another explanation: the rise in interest rates which has dried up the pool of potential buyers.
Only Germany is doing well, recording 2.6 million new registrations in 2022, a slight increase.
The electric pulls out of the game
In the United Kingdom, things should get better this year, says the SMMT, an organization responsible for promoting the automotive sector. Sales had already returned to a decent level in December.
A slight rebound is also observed in France.
Given the lack of spare parts, manufacturers have focused on vehicles with zero CO2 emissions, specifies the SMMT. In the month of December alone, electric cars thus reached their largest market share ever recorded, at almost 33%. Over the full year, they reach 17%, overtaking diesel-powered cars for the first time and becoming the second best-selling car category after gasoline-powered vehicles.