Canadian new light vehicle sales in May marked a clear improvement over April — though performance differed significantly from province to province, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC).
May sales came in at an estimated 113,224 units, which is a 44.0% decrease from the same period in 2019. Back then, 202,141 units were sold in Canada — but May’s performance was still better than April, when only an estimated 45,833 units were sold.
“From province to province, May performance differed to a significant degree,” said DAC. “Manitoba noted the smallest decrease out of the ten provinces, with an estimated 35.1% decrease in May.”
In Nova Scotia, sales fell an estimated 50.0%, while in Ontario (considered the volume leader) sales declined 49.0%. In Quebec, which is considered the volume runner-up, the province experienced an estimated 39.0% decrease of new light vehicle sales. It was also approximately 10,000 units below Ontario’s sales level for the month.
“As different regions continue to differ in their approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent reopening, a wide spread in provincial performance will likely persist,” said DAC.
