New light vehicle sales in July experienced noteworthy gains in some of the lower volume provinces, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC).
Its latest update states that Canada’s Atlantic region enjoyed strong sales increases last month: Newfoundland was up an estimated 41.2%, PEI was up 39.7%, Nova Scotia jumped 31.6%, and New Brunswick saw sales rise 22.0%. DAC said Saskatchewan also noted a strong increase in July — at 22.6%.
On the lower end a sales imbalance was noted, with Ontario and British Columbia managing single digit growth at 6.9% and 7.4%, respectively. DAC said the imbalance was present in the year-to-date totals too, with Newfoundland up 21.5% over 2023 and British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta up 7.4%, 8.2%, and 8.6%, respectively.
“Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta have seen relatively slower growth in 2024 compared to the broader Canadian market,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC, in a statement. “While the initial recovery in vehicle availability in 2023 was regionally uneven, product supply is now strong enough that all markets are seeing plentiful supply.”
Overall, total new light vehicle sales reached an estimated 161,000 units for July 2024. That figure shows an increase of 11.0%, with year-to-date sales up 10.5% over the same time in 2023.
