Most automakers closed 2024 with recording-break U.S. sales, helped by surging demand for battery electric vehicles.
Despite a cooling global sales environment that led to production cuts and layoffs, a majority of automakers, including General Motors, reported Q4 year-over-year sales gains.
GM sold 2.7 million vehicles in 2024, a 4% YoY improvement and its highest total since 2019, the company said. In Q4, the automaker also posted a 21% YoY improvement. GM also sold 42,000 EVs in Q4, up 10,000 from the prior quarter and nearly double the amount sold in Q2.
“It was a great year for us across our product lines,” Rory Harvey, GM executive VP and president of global markets, said in the release. “How did we do it? By investing to have the best portfolio in the industry. We have something for everyone, no matter what they like to drive."
Ford’s Q4 YoY US sales up 17%
Ford closed out Q4 in the U.S. with a 17% improvement from a year ago, contributing to a full-year sales gain of 6%.
Ford sold just over 2 million vehicles, led by sales of its best-selling F-Series trucks, which saw a 21% YoY sales increase.
EV and hybrid sales made significant strides for the year, posting a 38% gain from a year ago with 285,291 vehicles sold.
Q4 also marked Ford’s best-ever quarter for EV sales, with 30,176 units sold. The automaker seeks to bolster EV sales in early 2025 through the extension of its free charger promotion.
Stellantis’ FCA US sales tumble
It was a down year for FCA US, a division of Stellantis, which reported a 7% year-over-year sales drop in Q4 with 320,743 vehicles sold. The automaker ended the year with 1.3 million sales, down 15% YoY.
While the automaker’s overall sales fell for the year, its Ram brand saw a 2% YoY sales increase in Q4 and Jeep also logged a 6% Q4 improvement when compared to last year.
The automaker, which has shuffled its C-suite and is seeking a new CEO as part of an overall effort to improve operations and bolster sales, is confident its expanded EV lineup will lure in buyers.
“As we head into 2025, our U.S. brands are demonstrating strong sales momentum, with our H2 retail sales showing 4% growth over the first half of the year’s results,” said Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. sales.
Mercedes-Benz USA posts 9% YoY sales growth
Mercedes-Benz USA reported sales of 88,259 vehicles in Q4, an 8% year-over-year increase. For the year, the automaker posted a 9% YoY gain with 324,528 units sold.
Plug-in hybrids saw exponential growth in Q4 with a 470% YoY sales increase. Sales of the Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and G-Class also experienced sales gains with a 52% improvement over a year ago.
Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, said the automaker ended 2024 with its best-ever sales for December.
Volkswagen of America YoY sales up 15.2%
Volkswagen of America’s Q4 sales 103,194 vehicles, a 7% year-over-year increase. The automaker reported a 15.2% YoY annual sales gain with 379,178 units sold.
The Jetta and Tiguan saw significant gains posting YoY sales increases of 51.5% and 23.8% respectively.
Kjell Gruner, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America said the automaker’s growing sales, “shows that our reinvigorated product lineup is resonating with American buyers—and we expect the momentum to continue in 2025.”
BMW sets US sales record sales in 2024
BMW of North America sold 371,346 vehicles in the U.S., a 2.5% year-over-year increase, marking the second consecutive year the automaker topped its annual sales mark.
Annual EV sales, which saw a 12.3% YoY improvement, surpassed 50,000 units for the first time, BMW said. While it did experience a yearly gain in EV sales, Q4 sales faltered, falling 3.5% with 13,876 units sold.
Sebastian Mackensen, president & CEO, BMW of North America, was encouraged by the overall sales improvement.
“This is a fantastic result, which is a direct reflection of the BMW brand’s strength and superior product line-up. U.S. customers really love our ‘Ultimate Driving Machines’ -- regardless of drivetrain -- which fueled sales growth of both ICE and BEV vehicles,” he said.
Toyota Motor North America sales top 2.3 million
Toyota Motor North America reported sales of just over 2.3 million vehicles in 2024, a year-over-year improvement of 3.7%.
Though the automaker finished the year with sales gains, its Q4 sales fell 2.7% YoY with 603,104 units sold. Toyota’s December sales dropped 7.1% YoY with 209,953 vehicles sold.
Toyota received a boost from EV sales, which accounted for just over 1 million units sold for the year, up 53.1% from a year ago. The automaker said EV sales represented 43.1% of its total annual sales.
“Our multi-pathway powertrain approach continues to attract customers, meeting their lifestyles and budgets,” said Jack Hollis, EVO and COO of Toyota Motor North America.
Tesla delivers nearly 500K vehicles in Q4
Tesla reported 495,570 vehicle deliveries in Q4, which was a monthly record for the automaker.
For the year, the EV manufacturer reported 1.79 million deliveries. Its Model 3 and Model Y accounted for a majority of Tesla’s annual deliveries.
Nissan shows U.S. sales gains
Nissan Motor sold 849,714 vehicles in the U.S. between January and November, representing a 3% YoY increase.
The automaker reported a monthly YoY sales gain of 18.3% in November with 71,534 units sold.
