U.S. Auto Market Loses 1 Million Buyers as Sales Fall for 8th Straight Month

5 articles · Updated · SlashGear · May 30

About 1 million U.S. new-car buyers have disappeared since 2020, and April marked the eighth straight monthly sales decline, undermining hopes for a return to 17 million annual sales.
A roughly $50,000 average new-vehicle price, combined with high interest rates, inflation, rising gas prices and tariffs, has pushed monthly payments beyond many middle-class buyers.
That squeeze is keeping Americans in older cars longer, lifting the average vehicle age to a record 13 years while used-car prices also remain elevated.
Hybrids are the main exception: sales rose more than 9% to over 14% of new purchases, while EV sales fell by more than a third year to date and slipped to 5% share.
The shift suggests the market may stay stuck near or below 16 million sales for years, favoring lower-cost, lower-disruption options over pricier EVs.

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