The US vehicle parc is older than ever but the ageing process is slowing.
Still running after all these years Image: ChrisTutor |
According to a new report from IHS Automotive, despite the temptation of shiny new models and increased new vehicle sales, the average age of light vehicles in the US was 11.4 years by the end of 2013.
Although this showed a plateau compared with 2012, against a backdrop of a 2% increase in vehicles on the road, the ageing process is still set to continue through to 2019.
IHS stated that improvements in the US economy, combined with better quality vehicles, had helped to slow the age rate, which had risen by 5% between 2009 and 2014.
Although the latest average is the highest ever recorded, the trend is now showing definite signs of slowing.
The figures were also helped by a shift in the balance between new vehicle registrations and scrappage, with new vehicles registered in 2013 passing the number of scrapped vehicles for the first time in ten years.
IHS is forecasting an uplift in the volume of new to five-year-old cars by 32% to 2019, although vehicles of more than 12 years old are also set to rise by 15% over the same period.