New car sales in the United States benefited from strong demand in 2023, mainly thanks to attractive trade deals amid rising interest rates and high inflation in the country, AFP reported.

According to industry experts, approximately 15.5 million vehicles will be delivered in the US in 2023, an increase of almost 13% from the previous year.

“In 2023, car sales turned out to be much higher than expected,” CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson told AFP.

“We’re approaching pre-pandemic levels” of more than 17 million vehicles a year from 2015 to 2019, he says, predicting sales growth of 3 percent in 2024. Then they will amount to about 16 million.

Other experts forecast only a small increase of 1 percent to 15.7 million.

Sales benefited from an improved supply chain, high dealer inventory and more choice for shoppers who took advantage of promotions, price cuts and federal subsidies, Nelson said.

Tesla, a specialist in the production of electric cars, for example, has been reducing prices for several months.

“Overall, prices are down 2-3%, and electric cars are down a lot more, but they’re still high,” says Garrett Nelson.

General Motors – the leading manufacturer in the US market with a stated share of 16.3% by 2023 – delivered 2.6 million vehicles in the United States between January and December.