Leading automakers reported mostly higher US sales for the first half of 2018 on Tuesday, bolstered by a strengthening economy and robust demand for larger vehicles despite higher gasoline prices. General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota all reported higher sales for the year through the end of June, while Ford reported a modest decline even as it described overall market conditions as robust.
Some analysts have been cautious on the outlook for US auto sales given rising interest rates and trade tariff announcements, which could also hike costs of vehicles. But automakers said US market conditions remained healthy amid solid employment trends and a lift from US tax cuts.
"Customers are buying with confidence because the economy is strong and they expect it to remain strong," said Kurt McNeil, General Motors US vice president of sales of operations. GM, the biggest US automaker, reported a 4.2 percent increase in first-half sales to 1.5 million, with sales rising 4.6 percent in the second quarter to 758,376.
GM cited double-digit increases in deliveries of pickup trucks and large SUVs in the second quarter. "Tax reform raised take-home pay, consumer confidence is high and household balance sheets are healthy," said GM chief economist Elaine Buckberg said. Ford executives said the effects of US trade tensions were too uncertain to predict at this point but they backed the upbeat assessment of US market conditions.
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