Covid-19 briefing

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The global light vehicle selling rate plunged to 67 million units/year in April 2022. Most major markets remain supply-constrained, with lockdowns in China as well as the war in Ukraine only exacerbating these issues and thus applying downward pressure to global sales activity. Year-on-year (YoY), sales were down a staggering 25%, with all major markets experiencing a contraction.

The West European selling rate remained at 10.6 million units/year in April, with supply chain bottlenecks still the key reason for the depressed level of registration statistics. The war in Ukraine, as well as lockdowns in China, only exacerbate supply issues. Meanwhile, underlying demand is increasingly struggling in the face of growing economic challenges, not least high inflation.

GlobalData’s measure for YoY global sales of light vehicles

GlobalData’s measure for YoY Western Europe sales of light vehicles