In the first half of the year, a further 19 percent fall in new car sales as Austrians save and dealers have problems with delivery.
Austrians have never bought as few new cars in 44 years as in the first half of the year: sales fell by more than 19 percent to just 108,606 cars, compared to previous years, which were already weak due to Corona. There are two main reasons for this: High inflation and expensive fuel mean that many customers prefer to save or wait before buying a car. In addition, there are the delivery problems caused by the persistent lack of electronic parts, cables, etc., which lead to long waiting times.
Hans Peter Schützinger, head of car trade market leader Porsche Holding Salzburg, expects this deadly mixture to continue for another year or two. “Provided that in addition to the limited supply, inflation and the impending economic downturn can also be brought under control.”
Diesel drops the most
The decline was particularly strong for diesel (minus 29 percent) and petrol models (minus 21 percent). Only small and compact cars were in demand halfway through. Due to a lack of availability, new registrations of hybrid (about minus ten percent) and electric cars (minus 5.6 percent) also fell. After all, alternative drives already accounted for 38 percent of turnover.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
