Numbers game

Time to break down the December sales figures – as well as some 2022 wrap-ups. Let’s jump right in.

In December 87,920 new vehicles were delivered. All vehicle categories recorded increased sales, except for light commercials which recorded a small decline of 1.9 per cent. In 2022, 1,081,429 new vehicle sales were recorded, which is three per cent higher than in 2021. This represents the best yearly sales result since 2018 however, annual new vehicle sales in 2022 were still 5.8 per cent less than the five-year average prior to the pandemic.

State-wise, Victoria recorded the best sales performance of all jurisdictions in 2022, with an annual sales growth of 5.3 per cent. Tassie was runner-up at 3.2 per cent.

Sales by vehicle category and fuel type? There were 5,084 battery electric vehicles delivered in December. Tesla dominated the market, accounting for approximately 45 per cent of allelectric vehicle sales. There were 33,410 pure electric vehicles sold in 2022 representing 3.1 per cent of all new vehicle sales. In comparison, 551,556 petrol vehicles were sold during 2022 and accounted for

51 per cent of the market. Diesel vehicles accounted for 33.4 per cent of the new vehicle market.

The top-selling vehicle in 2022 was the Toyota Hi-Lux for the seventh year in a row (64,391 sales).

While the new vehicle market is showing signs of some momentum moving into early 2023, there remains considerable uncertainty moving forward. The full impact of interest rate rises to date is yet to unravel, with further rate rises being a distinct possibility. This, along with other inflationary pressures and global uncertainties, may dampen consumer spending. Source: FCAI