Americans Forced To Keep Their Old Cars Longer Than They Want CarBuzz

Americans Forced To Keep Their Old Cars Longer Than They Want CarBuzz

Americans Forced To Keep Their Old Cars Longer Than They Want CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Americans Forced To Keep Their Old Cars Longer Than They Want

Americans Forced To Keep Their Old Cars Longer Than They Want

May. 25, 2022 10:21 AM ET by Jarryd Neves Industry News / 10 Comments The average age of a vehicle in the USA now stands at 12.2 years. It may be a cliche, but few things smell as good as a brand new car. Taking delivery of a box-fresh vehicle is an unrivaled feeling. But this is an experience fewer Americans can indulge in, as the chip crisis and supply chain woes continue to thwart new car sales. Pent-up demand brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has left manufacturers in a panic, with many unable to fulfill orders as they battle impatient customers on one end and industry issues on the other. Take Ford as an example. The Mustang Mach-E has proven so popular that the Blue Oval has, essentially, sold its entire 2022 allocation. This unrelenting desire for new vehicles has seen some dealers employ nasty tactics, placing exorbitant markups on new vehicles. This has trickled down to the used car market as well. As a result, American motorists are keeping their cars for longer than ever before, says a report from S&P Global Mobility.
Unsplash.com Obi Onyeador/Unsplash Pexels.com The report makes for interesting reading. The average age of light vehicles in the USA now stands at 12.2 years in 2022, representing an increase of nearly 2% compared to 2021. This median has been consistently rising for five years and is largely centered around limited supply and high demand for new vehicles. This is forcing would-be car buyers to keep their cars for longer. Speaking to Automotive News, S&P's Todd Campau clarified the situation. "People do still feel the need to have a vehicle available to them, maybe even more coming out of the pandemic, so that's caused the vehicle fleet just to grow a little bit ... and because the new-vehicle sales haven't been available, it's been growing from within really from vehicles that have been on the road, and they're just staying available longer." Interestingly, a decline in vehicle scrapping has also contributed to this increased average age. Sanderson Lincoln/Twitter Sanderson Lincoln/Facebook Sanderson Lincoln/Twitter Citing data from Cox Automotive, the publication notes the average age of US vehicles has been on the rise since 2011. Studies indicate an increase in the sale of high-mileage vehicles (as much as 7%) in Q1 2022. This sits in sharp contrast to pre-pandemic buying habits - vehicles with mileages above 150,000 miles were considered undesirable for larger retailers. Intriguingly, the average age of electric vehicles has declined, notes the S&P Global report. The lower average age of 3.8 years (3.9 in 2021) can be attributed to the massive increase in electric vehicles on American roads. The total number of EVs in operation rose by nearly 40%. This is only set to lower in the coming years, as electric vehicles enjoy greater acceptance and popularity. The analytics company expects the average age to increase well into 2023, with Campau telling Automotive News it should level out "once the new-vehicle supply starts to catch up with demand ... we could see average age maybe even come down slightly." Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Source Credits: Automotive News

Join The Discussion

Show Comments (10)

Gallery

12 Photos Tags: #Ford News #Electric Vehicles #Industry News

Related Cars

Ford Mustang Mach-E Jarryd Neves Associate Editor After wandering onto the wrong career path, Jarryd quickly abandoned his legal studies to pursue a career in journalism. An internship at a leading motoring magazine nurtured his love for reporting and prepared him for the world of finance and investment writing. Thrilling as it was, Jarryd's first love has always been motoring, and joining CarBuzz in 2022 put him back where he belongs - covering the latest automotive news and events. In his spare time, he trawls the classifieds for cheap (and ruinous) classic luxury sedans or simply cruises around in his own aging German luxobarge. Contact Jarryd @jarrydneves LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top
Share:
0 comments

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment

Minimum 10 characters required

* All fields are required. Comments are moderated before appearing.

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!

Americans Forced To Keep Their Old Cars Longer Than They Want CarBuzz | Trend Now | Trend Now