General Motors sales rose 4.8% in the fourth quarter of a dismal year

The company said on Tuesday that US auto sales to General Motors fell 11.8% in 2020 but showed strong signs of recovery in the fourth quarter.

GM’s domestic sales were up 4.8% in the final three months of last year compared to the same period in 2019. The company said that retail sales of the entire auto industry returned to pre-epidemic levels in the fourth quarter. She added that merchant fleet customers also began returning near the end of the year.

GM’s strong fourth quarter is likely to be a good sign for the auto industry overall. The majority of auto makers are due to report sales in the US on Tuesday. Domestic car sales were expected to be in 2020 By at least 15% compared to 2019.

General Motors said it gained market share among retail and fleet customers in the fourth quarter and for an entire year.

“General Motors outperformed the industry in both the quarter and the whole year by a large margin because our manufacturing, supply chain and distributors teams helped keep people safe at work and set us on the right track,” said Steve Carlisle, Executive Vice President of General Motors and President of General Motors North. America in a statement.

The carmaker’s sales during the year, including in the fourth quarter, were largely driven by sales of its pickup truck and SUV. Other notable increases included Chevrolet Corvette, Up 20.2%; Chevrolet Bolt EV, up 26.4%; And the Still GX, Small crossover, tops Buick’s sales charts in its first year.