Steel Markets
September 22, 2015
US Vehicle Sales and NAFTA Vehicle Production in August 2015
Written by Peter Wright
In August, vehicle sales reached a new recovery high of 17.8 million units on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis. This was the highest pace since July 2005, when incentives caused sales to surge. The August sales figure was particularly driven by light trucks which increased from 9.7 to 10.1 million units annualized. Autos fell from 7.8 to 7.7 million. The light truck share at 57 percent was the highest in 10 years.
So far this year, the sales pace average is 17.1 million units and it is likely that 2015 will have the best pace since 2001. Pent-up demand for vehicles is being quickly absorbed and the decline in gasoline prices is encouraging consumers to jump in. The Ford F series has maintained its #1 spot in spite of reservations about the F150 aluminum body. Year to date, Ford F series sales through August were 461,491 units, the Chevy Silverado was 387,179 units and the Dodge Ram was 284,956 units. The only car to make it into the top four was the Toyota Camry with 291,843 units.
