Spring Market Performance – 2013

  • Spring market uptick mild this year used car values increased only 2% in Q1
  • Last year, increase was 3% and in 2011 it was 6%
  • Off-lease units have increased supply lately, and recently cheaper gasoline prices helping to keep values in check
 

CNW Research’s Art Spinella on Retail Used Car Sales in April

The unit volume for retail used vehicle sales was up mildly (0.7%) over year ago, but the prices in April were down quite a bit – 5.8%. Sales revenue is down from a year ago – lower transaction prices was the cause, according to CNW Research’s Art Spinella.

April saw a rise in sales volume of 1-to-5 year old cars as their inventories improved slightly, and the vehicle age category that saw a 6.44% increase was….

The market saw a 12% increase in the number of used-vehicle shoppers in April versus a year earlier – shoppers were up 8.83% for franchised dealers and….

Shoppers are leaving their DMA (designated marketing area) in larger numbers to make their used car purchases, and there’s two primary reasons for it….

Click here to see the sales figures for franchised and independent dealers and private party sales in the month of April…

 

Blue Book’s UC-Focused Market Report Sees Mild Spring Market Uptick

Blue Book just released its first every used car-focused market report. The spring market uptick was pretty mild this year, with used car values increasing only 2% in Q1 – below the 3% increase from year before and 6% in 2011.

Auction supply is expected to continue improving and fuel prices should remain below levels seen last year, with UV values likely declining by….

Used vehicle values were down almost across the board 1.7% from a year ago during April, and the segment having the most significant declines was….

The market for used full-size pickups was stable in April with only nominal depreciation, and while small cars were seeing strong prices, it appears that….

Click here to read the revised Blue Book Used-Car Market Report, with details on segment performance and what’s next in the market….

 

Tesla CEO Supports Google’s R&D on Driverless Cars

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the luxury electric carmaker may add driverless technology to its vehicles and is talking to Google about it. Musk thinks that technologies that can take over for drivers are the next logical step in the evolution of cars. He tends to think of it more like an auto-pilot system than […]

 

LG Chem Will be Making Chevy Volt Batteries at its Holland Plant

LG Chem is launching a long-delayed commercial production of lithium ion battery cells for the Chevrolet Volt at its Holland, Mich., factory. Tests have been run and July has been targeted as the launch time for start of commercial production. Shipping should begin by late summer. The plant had not produced a single EV battery […]