The month of February has closed with an enrollment of 110,474 cars, which is an increase of 13% over the same month last year. All the sales channels have obtained double-digit growth, highlighting that of companies, which increased by 16.2%.
In the accumulated number of registrations for the first two months of the year, 212,135 units were reached, representing a 16.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Despite this increase, the level reached in these first two months of the year is 5% below that achieved in 2008, the year in which the crisis began and when more than 223,000 units were registered.
REGISTRATIONS BY CHANNELS
In the channel of individuals were registered in February 52,422 units, which has meant an increase of 12.2% compared to the same month last year. In the first two months of the year, individuals acquired 104,675 units, 13.9% more than in January-February 2017.
For their part, the companies, with a total of 31,275 registrations, obtained a rise of 16.2% in February. For the first two months of the year, the increase stands at 21.3% and a total of 64,464 units.
Vehicle rental companies, with a total of 26,777 units registered in February, reached an increase of 10.9% over the same month of 2017. In the first two months of the year, the total number of registrations of this channel was 42,996 units. , 15.5% more than in the same period last year. The seasonality of Holy Week, which this year is celebrated in the month of March and marks the beginning of the tourist high season, has influenced this rise because the rental companies have already begun to prepare their fleets. Last year this renovation was later, when this festival was celebrated during the month of April.
Adolfo Randulfe, communication director of ANFAC states that “February has been a good month for car registrations, with all sales channels growing above ten percent. Of them, it is the company that has increased the most, with a rise of 16.2% and driven by a notable increase in registrations carried out in the modality of renting, which in February rose by 27% and in the accumulated of the first two months it reaches 28%. Despite the good figures obtained and the gradual rise in the market, we must not lose sight of the fact that the levels prior to the crisis have not yet been recovered. Thus, both in February and in the accumulated of the first two months of 2018, the number of registrations does not reach the obtained in those periods during 2008: then there were 121,404 and 223,020 units, in the month and in January-February, respectively ” .
According to the general director of Ganvam, Tomás Herrera explains that “individuals regain the protagonism given to companies, which indicates that the demand market that was held for some time begins to emerge in a context of economic growth and recovery of employment. In addition, there is another factor that plays in favor and is that the cost of purchasing cars can be said to be falling because in real terms it is possible to acquire more equipment for the same or even less price if we discount inflation. Therefore, the figures indicate that despite the restrictions on the private vehicle that they plan on the main cities, car sales will continue to grow and they should do so at a faster pace. In fact, although it is still early to give an accurate forecast, it is likely that in 2018 the 1.3 million units will be touched “.
Raúl Morales, communication director of FACONAUTO, points out that “February has once again been a good month for registrations, being very favored by the upward trend of all sales channels, which grow in a very compensated way. With regard to the channel of individuals, the highlight is that their increases are being maintained over time. This is explained because individuals and families show confidence in the economic context and, moreover, they find in the concessionaires promotional efforts that are above the 4,000 euros on average, as well as more flexible acquisition formulas that are attracting new buyers. Now, these sales operations still involve, in many cases, the delivery of a very old and polluting used that, today, returns to the market in the absence of incentives for its scrapping. In short, the start of this year is being better than expected and shows us that the sale of cars is going through a dynamic moment and capable of boosting national consumption “.