Sales of the convertible are ending as automakers invest in electric.
Cabriolet – the star of countless Hollywood movies, or the perfect summer adventure car, is fading as the auto industry invests in more rugged, electric sports vehicles.
In the US, the sales numbers speak for themselves, where classics like the convertible Ford Mustang have plummeted to fewer than 100,000 vehicles a year, along with other homeless celebrities like the Chevrolet Camaro, writes CNBC.
Cost increase for the convertible
In addition to the electric investment, the sunroofs of many cars and the general increase in costs for the convertible are also behind the decline.
Neither car manufacturers nor consumers show much interest in roofless cars anymore Stefania Brinleyautomotive analyst at S&P Global Mobility.
“In the transition to electric vehicles, and where automakers are investing their money, they just aren’t going to convertibles,” he says.
Reduce the number of templates
Manufacturers have also reduced the number of models of convertibles and roadsters, two-seater vehicles with a removable roof. The reduction is from 29 models in 2011 to 23 models in 2019.
Haartz, the world leader in removable roofing materials, reports that the downward trend is occurring globally and not just in the United States.
“What we are seeing right now is that electrification is taking even more away from the world of convertibles,” he says. Phil Hollenbeckhead of planning at Haartz.
At the same time, the prices of roofless cars are rising, especially lately due to widespread delivery problems. According to analyst firm JD Power, the average price of a convertible jumped from around $ 45,000 in 2011 to just over $ 70,000 last year.
Electric cars without a roof
At the same time, however, carmakers have begun to think about how to produce roofless electric cars. Ford Mustang has already unveiled an electric version of its cabin and Polestar is about to do the same.
Read also: Finally an electric convertible: the perfect summer car! [Dagens PS]
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