With March sales reports for most markets in, save for China, it is possible to gain a better view of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on new-vehicle sales, says data analytics and consulting company GlobalData.

In Europe, light-vehicle sales were down 46.3% year-on-year in March.

In the US, sales were down nearly 39%, the worst performance in the month since 2009. 

Given the fact that US sales were tracking as expected up until March 11, it serves as an indication of the scale of market collapse, says GlobalData.

April looks like it will be one of the worst sales months in major markets since records began, with nearly half of the world’s population in lockdown, the company adds.

This year’s sales declines for Western Europe, China and North America alone are now forecast to add up to 10.8-million units compared with 2019.

In Europe and North America, GlobalData estimates that in the past few days some 3.5-million light vehicles have been removed from production schedules at a cost of $113.3-billion in lost potential revenue, if one assumes the stoppages last at least until the end of April. 

South Africa saw a 12.8% drop in new-vehicle sales in the first quarter of this year.

BMW SALES
BMW reports that it has seen a 20.6% drop in BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce sales for the first three months of the year compared with 2019.

The German car maker says its sales result for the first quarter was overshadowed by the global impact of Covid-19 and the effects of the temporary closure of a large number of retail outlets. 

There was some good news, however.

In the first quarter 30 692 (+13.9%) electrified BMW and Mini vehicles were sold worldwide. 

“In China, we are seeing the first signs of recovery with a strong order intake,” adds BMW customer, brands and sales management board member Pieter Nota.

In China, first-quarter sales were down 30.9% (116 452 vehicles).  This trend was, however, reversed in March, pointing to what could be a sustainable recovery in this market. Sales figures in South Korea also trended in a positive direction. 

The BMW Group initially made a good start to the year and was reporting sales growth. However, by February, the impact of the pandemic had already led to a significant decrease in sales in China. 

By March, the effects of the pandemic were clearly visible in sales figures in Europe and the US. 

Around 80% of all vehicle retail outlets in Europe and 70% of those in the US are currently closed owing to the coronavirus.