Provincial new light vehicle sales for December revealed more growth-variety than was experienced throughout 2023, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
“At the provincial level, the most notable factor in 2023 was the breadth of gains across the country,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC, in a statement. Sales growth per province last month ranged from an estimated 7.4% increase in Ontario to a 27.3% increase in Newfoundland.
“Improved vehicle availability was the dominant industry dynamic in 2023 and easily outweighed any regional variations in economic performance,” explained King in DAC’s update.
In comparison 2023 saw new light sales increases across Canada, with all provinces noting a boost in sales compared to 2022. Based on reporting manufacturers, Alberta was a standout performer with an increase of 14.3%. British Columbia was up 13.3% from 2022, and Ontario managed the third largest increase at 12.2% over the prior year — even as it experienced slower growth towards the end of 2023. Saskatchewan, still noting an increase, saw sales rise a “single-digit” 6.2%.
Overall for 2023, total new light vehicle sales among reporting OEMs reached 1.664 million units sold. That translates to an increase of 11.8% over 2022. And for December, estimated sales were up 10.5%, just over 120,000 units.
