Cars are being sold even before they get to the dealers thanks to “insane market”
Rick Ricart reports that over the next three weeks, nearly forty Kia Telluride sport utility vehicles are expected to arrive at his family’s dealership near Columbus, new car Ohio. These vehicles will most likely only remain for a short period of time on the dealership’s lot.
Mr. Ricart replied, “They’re all gone,” he said. In either case, the customer has either signed the documents or has paid a deposit. Currently, the market seems to be out of control.
American consumers are buying a large number of makes and models in dealerships across the country almost as fast as they can be made or resold. In part, the frenzy for new and used vehicles is being fueled by two factors: First, automakers are struggling to increase production because of a shortage of computer chips that is in part the result of the pandemic. In addition, a strong economic recovery, low interest rates, and high savings rates, as well as the government’s stimulus payments, have all contributed to boosting demand.
The combination of these factors has made it extremely difficult for dealers and consumers to obtain vehicles. Some dealers are contacting former customers about buying back cars they sold a year or two ago, due to the fact that demand for used cars is just as strong as it is for new car if not stronger. According to government data published earlier this week, the price of used cars has increased by 45 percent over the last year. Meanwhile, prices for new cars and trucks have risen by about 5 percent.
In Washington, President Biden’s policies, in particular the $1,9 trillion American recovery plan he signed in March, have sparked a debate about whether those measures are responsible for the sharp rise in property prices. The Consumer Price Index rose 5.4 percent this year in the United States through June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In the view of Republican lawmakers, the March legislation overheated the economy and resulted in price increases that caused the public to oppose additional government spending. On the other hand, officials within the administration of Vice President Biden have noted that temporary shortages of supplies are largely responsible for the spike in car prices.
Whether the government stimulus program has helped consumers or not is hard to tell. This is due to a variety of factors.
For example, the chip shortage is affecting automakers all over the world and is not a result of the United States’ policies. There is a shortage of semiconductors as a result of the limited production capacity of semiconductors, as well as disruptions in supply and demand as a result of the pandemic.
General Motors has temporarily removed certain features from some models, including stop-start systems, which turn off engines at traffic lights when a car stops for something like a traffic signal, in order to take advantage of limited chip supplies. Peugeot, the French automaker, has replaced digital speedometers with analog ones in some of its cars as well.