Vehicle sales rise 27% in May and approach numbers recorded a year ago

The Brazilian market for new vehicles grew 27% in May, compared to April, and practically tied with that of May last year, with sales of 187 thousand units, including trucks and buses.

The data were released last Wednesday (1st) by the National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea).

It was the fourth consecutive month of growth in business and the best result of the year. It is also the first time since last July that this year’s number is close to that recorded in the same month of 2021.

In the five-month period, however, sales totaled 740,000 vehicles, 17% lower than in the same period last year.

Although it has decreased, the sector continues with difficulties in supplying semiconductors and new factories must suspend production.

Volkswagen, for example, is currently one of the most affected and is already considering giving another ten days of collective vacation to the staff of the Anchieta factory, in the ABC region of São Paulo, if it does not receive a batch of components by the beginning of July.

As of April, 14 factories — out of a total of 59 — had already suspended operations for days or weeks due to a shortage of chips.

During this period, at least 100,000 vehicles were no longer produced, according to Anfavea’s calculations.

The entity’s president, Márcio de Lima Leite, said last month that he believes that the pace of growth in domestic sales will be maintained, despite the lack of some products, price readjustments made by automakers, high interest rates, credit difficulties and the fall in the purchasing power of workers.

pent-up demand

In his opinion, there is a pent-up demand due to the difficulty of finding some models in stores, and the sector still does not know how big the Brazilian market will be when the chip problem is resolved. “It’s a topic that we’re evaluating,” he said.

In May, the car and light commercial vehicle market alone had sales of 175,600 units, with a growth of 28% compared to April and practically tied with May 2021.

In the year, the segment has sold 689,200 units, 18% lower than in the first five months of 2021.

Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) continue to gain market share. As they are products with higher added value, automakers have given priority to the production of models in this segment with the chips they receive.

In the ranking of the automotive market, Fiat remains in the lead, with 22.1% of total sales of cars and light commercial vehicles. General Motors comes in second with 14%.

In the three positions in a row are Toyota, Hyundai and Volkswagen, with results very close, respectively, of 10.8%, 10.7% and 10.5% of share in sales.

Further down are Jeep (7.8%), Renault (6.1%), Honda (3.2%), Nissan (2.9%) and Peugeot (2.4%).

The best-selling model between January and May was the Fiat Strada pickup, with 41,200 units. Then, Hyundai HB20, with 34.9 thousand units, Chevrolet Onix (29.9 thousand), Fiat Mobi (26.7 thousand) and Volkswagen T-Cross (26.5 thousand).

The licensing data anticipated by the market are partial and must be confirmed today by the National Federation of Motor Vehicles Distribution (Fenabrave).

Next week, it will be the turn of Anfavea to disclose the results of production, exports and jobs in the sector in May and in the accumulated result for the year. The information is from the newspaper. The State of São Paulo.