by Calculated Risk on 5/01/2024 07:33:00 PM

Wards Auto released their estimate of light vehicle sales for April: U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales Trudge Along with Tepid Growth in April (pay site).

Affordability continued to dominate the sales mix as gains in entry-price CUV and car segments more than offset downturns recorded in most other segments. While the SAAR and the daily selling rate were up, raw volume declined year-over-year due to April 2024 having one fewer selling day than in 2023. Sales in the first four months of 2024 totaled 5.1 million units, up 3% from January-April 2023’s 4.9 million.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows light vehicle sales since 2006 from the BEA (blue) and Wards Auto's estimate for April (red).

Sales in April (15.74 million SAAR) were up 1.6% from March, and up 0.4% from April 2023.

The second graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967.

Sales in April were slightly above the consensus forecast.