Fleet Truck/Van Sales Continue To Climb For GM Brands
General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) dealers delivered 272,423 vehicles in the United States in August, led by an 18 percent increase in truck sales compared to a year ago, a 10 percent increase in GMC deliveries and a 30 percent increase in commercial sales.
Total deliveries were down 1 percent compared with last August, which was GM’s best sales month of 2013.
GM’s gains in the commercial segment were driven by pickup and van sales, which were up 23 percent and 19 percent, respectively. GM’s fleet mix in August was 22 percent.
Retail deliveries, which are sales to individual consumers, declined 4 percent. Fleet deliveries were up 9 percent compared with a year ago.
Light vehicle sales for the year are now expected to be near the high-end of GM’s full-year outlook set in January, which was for 16.0 million – 16.5 million units.
“Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac had an outstanding month with trucks. Cars and crossovers like the Buick Encore and GMC Acadia, and the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze and Traverse, were also strong,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations.
Calendar year to date, GM’s fleet mix is 25 percent.“We see a strong fall selling season ahead for GM and the industry, which sets the stage for the launches of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.
Car-buying fundamentals like employment and energy prices are in good shape, consumer confidence has reached a post-recession high and business investment is increasing.”
Nearly 28,000 dealer orders have been placed for the Chevrolet Colorado, along with 14,000 orders for the GMC Canyon, which both began production this week and arrive in showrooms this fall.
Chevrolet and GMC will soon be the only brands offering mid-size pickups, as well as light- and heavy-duty full-size pickups.
August Light-Duty Truck Sales Highlights (vs. 2013 except as noted)
Sales of Chevrolet and GMC large SUVs were up 38 percent.
Cadillac Escalade deliveries increased 64 percent, for the vehicle line’s best August since 2007.
Chevrolet Silverado deliveries were up 13 percent and GMC Sierra sales were up 10 percent. This was the best August for GM pickups since 2008.
The Chevrolet Express van had its best August sales since 2007, with deliveries up 23 percent. The GMC Savana saw a 70 percent increase.
