DRIVE NOW October/November 2021

WHERE ARE NEW CAR
SALES HEADED?
A LOOK AT THE STATS
by Adrian Edlington
There are almost as many cars
as there are people in Australia.
According to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics, there are
20.1 million registered motor
vehicles – that’s almost one
per person of driving age. Over
2020, the national fleet grew by
1.7%. It would seem our appetite
for new cars remains steady,
despite lockdowns, the COVID-19
pandemic, and other economic
factors.
2020 saw one of the biggest
slumps in new car sales since the
Global Financial Crisis of 2007-
2008. International new car sales
slowed from 91.3 million in 2019
to 63.7 million in 2020, according
to Statista. Over 2019-2022
(predicted) this represents a 13.8%
slump.
Add this to a global
semiconductor shortage, which
has affected the supply of almost
everything reliant on electronics:
smartphones, games consoles,
and of course, modern vehicles.
However, Australia is a big outlier.
Sales of vehicles are up 33%
compared to the same time
last year (81,999 vs 60,986),
according to the Federal Chamber
of Automotive Industries. This
means passenger vehicles, light
commercial, heavy commercial,
and SUVs are all trending upward.
This is despite some parts of
Australia being physically unable
to purchase cars at dealerships
due to prolonged lockdowns.
30 October/November 2021