US light vehicle market forecast to tick up in May

GlobalData

Thu, May 28, 2026 astatine 6:38 AM CDT 1 min read

According to Cox Automotive, May's US airy conveyance marketplace income gait volition decorativeness adjacent to an annualised 16.1 cardinal units level, up from April's 15.9 cardinal level.

Sales measurement is expected by the institution to emergence to 1.48 cardinal units, mostly unchanged from May 2025 but 7% higher than past month.

Cox says the US caller conveyance marketplace is proving to beryllium resilient, arsenic affluent households shingle disconnected economical uncertainty and inflationary unit of higher substance costs.

Although substance prices successful the US are sharply higher and user sentiment is astatine historical lows, the analysts astatine Cox enactment that the banal marketplace has returned to grounds highs and accidental the car marketplace is apt inactive benefitting from this year's larger taxation refunds and taxation benefits.

"May income look to beryllium holding up contempt important economical uncertainty," Cox Automotive Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough said.

"New conveyance buyers contiguous are much affluent than ever, truthful they whitethorn not beryllium arsenic impacted by inflationary pressures arsenic overmuch arsenic different consumers who are much acutely feeling the sharply higher substance costs. If the system and banal marketplace tin stay connected this increasing but volatile path, caller conveyance income volition apt follow. However, those are 2 ample necessities during highly volatile times."

"US airy conveyance marketplace forecast to tick up successful May" was primitively created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.