Edmunds: It is estimated that the US new car sales in April 2020 will be only 633,260, a year-on-year decrease of 52.5%

Analysts at Edmunds, a professional American automotive website, predict that new car sales in the United States in April will be only 633,260 units, a year-on-year decrease of 52.5% and a month-on-month decrease of 36.6%.

Analysts note that this would be the lowest sales month on record. The second worst month in the past 30 years was January 2009, when sales were 655,000.

"Auto sales took their biggest hit in decades in April," said analyst Jessica Caldwell. "These dismal numbers aren't just because consumers are holding back on buying. Flagship sales saw even more dramatic declines as everyday rental business dried up. Like many other industries, the entire auto industry is struggling as the coronavirus crisis continues."

Caldwell noted that the easing of shelter-in-place orders across the country in May could open up opportunities for automakers and dealers to capture some delayed demand, but there is still uncertainty ahead.

“April may have been the bottom for auto sales, so hopefully things will improve going forward,” Caldwell said. “But with employment and consumer confidence reaching new lows, the question remains: Will people be able to afford to buy a new car? While automakers are helping by offering unprecedented incentives, it may not be enough if consumers don’t recover financially from this crisis.”

Edmunds estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for light vehicle sales in April was 6.7 million units, with flagship transactions accounting for 13.0% of the total.