Most of the damage expected to occur in the third trimester (Photo: 123RF)
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New York – U.S. automaker General Motors (GM) on Friday said its U.S. vehicle sales fell 33% in the third quarter due to the lack of semiconductors that forced it since the start of the year. year, to reduce its production.
The group sold 446,997 cars over the period, or 218,195 units less than last year, details a press release.
GM management has already warned that for the whole of the second half of the year, its sales are expected to drop by around 200,000 units compared to the first half “mainly due to disruptions to the supply chain in Malaysia caused by the Covid- 19, most of the damage to take place in the third trimester ”.
Due to the lack of certain electronic components, the group had to suspend production on certain lines for several weeks, sometimes months.
According to analysts at the specialist firm Edmunds, sales of new cars and vans are expected to decline a total of 13% in the United States in the third quarter.
“Even though demand continues to be high on the consumer side, sales have continued to decline each month because there are simply not enough vehicles valued by buyers,” commented Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds. .
However, some manufacturers manage to limit the damage, like the Japanese group Toyota which saw its sales increase by 1.4% over the quarter with 566,005 vehicles.
The group “continues to face some problems on the side of the supply chain,” noted Jack Hollis, operations manager for Toyota in North America. “The teams are working hard to deliver the vehicles to the dealerships,” he added.
At General Motors, the situation is improving, assures the group.
“As we approach the fourth quarter, a constant flow of vehicles currently in factories will continue to be delivered to dealerships, we are restarting production in the major sedan and SUV factories and we anticipate more stable activity throughout the year. ‘fall,’ said Steve Carlisle, North America area manager for the group, in the statement.
GM, which is also facing a recall of around 142,000 electric Chevrolet Bolts due to manufacturing defects in certain battery modules that could lead to fires, still expects to post financial results in line with its latest forecast for all of the year.
“While supply issues have limited sales in recent months, underlying demand for vehicles remains solid, thanks to the recovery in the job market, demand that has been accumulating (for several months) and to the savings made by many households during the pandemic, ”said the manufacturer’s chief economist, Elaine Buckberg.
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