New auto sales up in 2021, but nowhere near before pandemic

By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. new vehicle sales rebounded slightly last year from 2020′s dismal numbers, but forecasters expect them to be more than 2 million below the years before the coronavirus pandemic. The problem isn’t consumer demand. It’s low vehicle supplies caused by the global shortage of computer chips. Cox Automotive expects 2021 sales to be 14.9 million vehicles, up 2.5% from 2020, the year the pandemic hit the U.S. But during the five years before the pandemic, sales averaged 17.3 million. Most automakers will release December and full-year sales numbers on Tuesday.