Car rental industry could rescue sales in new-vehicle market
One in eight new vehicles — 12.5% — sold in August went to the industry. In the car market, it was 17%, or one in six
The vehicle rental industry may yet save the blushes of motor industry analysts who have predicted 2%-3% growth in the new-vehicle market, Standard Bank’s Derick de Vries says. Latest sales figure show that after a disappointing August the market in 2018 trails 2017 by 0.6%. In the first eight months of 2017, 365,534 cars and commercial vehicles were sold compared to 363,233 in 2018. That does not leave much time for the forecast second-half recovery to take effect. However, De Vries, head of Standard Bank’s vehicle and asset finance division, said increased purchases by rental companies could save the day. One in eight new vehicles — 12.5% — sold in August went to the industry. In the car market, it was 17%, or one in six. “There is a lot of rental replacement in the offing,” said De Vries. “Some companies also need to boost their fleet numbers.” Steep fuel price hikes have been blamed as one of the reasons for the market’s lacklustre performance in 2018, but De Vries said the gove...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.