With Q1 within the books, we’re seeing the primary actual 2024 U.S. auto gross sales figures, and with them, some shakeups in segments the place the pecking order was long-ago established. We stated in January that the auto business was returning to a semblance of normalcy after greater than three years of provide chain tomfoolery and runaway inflation. Nicely, there could also be a brand new regular but.
Clients lined up in droves to purchase automobiles in 2023, making it the very best yr for auto gross sales since 2019. Shock shock, vehicles remained comparatively stratospheric. Massive vehicles, small vehicles — even vehicles that do not do “truck” stuff. You identify it, People need it. However what precisely are they shopping for? Listed below are the numbers — and why they matter. A number of the same old suspects are precisely the place you’d discover them, with the F-Collection pickups proper up prime for the forty seventh yr working.
This is a have a look at how issues are shaping up for pickups up to now in 2024.
Fullsize
Q1 2024 fullsize truck gross sales:
- Whole GM (Silverado + Sierra) – 198,584 (+ 2.3%)
- Ford F-Collection (all) – 152,943 (– 10.2%)
- Chevrolet Silverado (all) – 129,987 (+ 2.4%)
- Ram P/U (all) – 89,417 (– 15%)
- GMC Sierra (all) – 68,597 (+ 2.1%)
- Toyota Tundra – 15,337 (+ 41.3%)
- Nissan Titan – 4,145 (+ 2.6%)
Why they matter:
Actually, the half-ton pickup section is fairly darned boring. The rankings have not modified from the place they sat on the finish of 2023, however there are some year-to-year modifications that could be price maintaining a tally of in 2024. There’s clearly nonetheless loads of demand for Toyota’s nearly-new Tundra; based mostly on these numbers, manufacturing continues to be catching up. GM’s Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra mix for probably the most whole pickups offered on a single platform, whereas Ford claims the crown for probably the most offered beneath a single nameplate. As is custom, we’ll depart it to you to kind out who the “real” winner is.
Chevy continues to place daylight between the Silverado and Ram. For some time, Auburn Hills had a tentative maintain on the #2 nameplate behind F-Collection. Now not. Additionally: Aww, Titan.
Notice: F-Collection, Ram, Sierra and Silverado are inclusive of ordinary (F-150, 1500, et al), medium- (Silverado MD) and heavy-duty (F-250, 2500, et al) fashions.
Midsize
Q1 2024 midsize truck gross sales:
- Nissan Frontier – 19,744 (+ 16.6%)
- Chevrolet Colorado – 14,922 (+ 12.6)
- Jeep Gladiator – 12,989 (– 4.0%)
- Toyota Tacoma – 8,310 (– 55.5%)
- GMC Canyon – 5,484 (+ 9.3%)
- Honda Ridgeline – 3,967 (– 22.3%)
- Ford Ranger – 1,918 (– 83.3%)
Why they matter:
The midsize section has been on a wild trip for the reason that pandemic began however 2024 is throwing that for a loop for various causes. Lengthy gone are the supply-chain hurdles of the pandemic period; say whats up to the churn of mannequin yr updates. With this section quickly re-expanding and competitors changing into more healthy, automakers are doing extra to distinguish their vehicles with every replace, and updates imply disruptions in deliveries.
That is type of a great distance of telling Toyota followers to not panic. The Tacoma hasn’t been dethroned; the brand new one is just in brief provide.
The opposite apparent outlier on this record is the Ford Ranger. Final place isn’t the place we would anticipate finding Ford’s midsizer, however clearly, retooling for the redesigned truck took its toll on manufacturing output. Which will have been exacerbated by the UAW strike, however we’ll be aware that GM had no hassle shifting loads of Canyons and Colorados in the identical time interval regardless of ongoing high quality management points. This is hoping Ford is taking its time within the identify of bettering its personal high quality.
Compact
Q1 2024 compact truck gross sales:
- Ford Maverick – 39,061 (+ 81.9%)
- Hyundai Santa Cruz – 3,362 (– 12.0%)
Why they matter:
Wow. Bear in mind compact pickups? Ford positive does. The Maverick is off to an enormous begin in 2024. At this tempo, it is on observe to just about double its 2023 quantity (94,058 items whole — a virtually 27% manufacturing improve from 2022), which was itself the little truck’s most profitable by far. There is not a lot to this section, however its mere existence is a testomony to the recognition of the pickup truck. In spite of everything, the Maverick was designed to switch Ford’s compact, economical Focus sedan and hatchback. Hyundai’s Santa Cruz gross sales are off a bit from 2023’s, however the Korean automaker has an up to date model of the truck hitting showrooms this summer time.
Electrical
Q1 2024 electrical truck gross sales:
- F-150 Lightning – 7,743 (+ 80.4%)
- Rivian R1T – 3,000** ( flat )
- Chevrolet Silverado EV – 1,061 ( new )
- GMC Hummer EV Pickup – 830** (+ ~4,000%)
- Tesla Cybertruck – **
Why they matter:
Electrical pickups are nonetheless outliers — a lot in order that their producers do not group them in with their ICE mannequin traces of their gross sales knowledge. This ends in a little bit of a hodgepodge of a “segment,” nevertheless it exists just for the needs of this evaluation; we aren’t claiming that these vehicles all immediately compete with one another. Neither GMC nor Rivian break its truck/SUV gross sales down in its printed figures, so our estimate right here relies on govt feedback that counsel the SUV/truck manufacturing ratio is one thing round 70/30 and discounting some items to account for van deliveries. Given the corporate’s flat efficiency, we needs to be within the ballpark with our estimate of roughly 3,000 RT1s delivered in Q1.
We’re not stunned to see Ford in first right here, however we’re stunned to see it outperforming its 2023 gross sales so significantly given all the chatter concerning EV gross sales of late. Maybe the demise of the battery-powered truck was considerably overexaggerated.
As for the Cybertruck, nicely, Tesla bundles it into its “other” class with the Mannequin S sedan and Mannequin X crossover. Collectively, they accounted for 17,000 items offered in Q1. Simply what number of of these had been Cybertrucks? We’ve got no earthly thought.
**Unavailable or estimated at time of publication.