Auto retail in the United States is being shaped by who buys and how shoppers research. In 2023, 68% of buyers looked online before visiting dealerships, while newer demographics and record female participation are reshaping the customer base. At the same time, supply and service pressures—like technician shortages and semiconductor-driven production disruptions—affect inventory and sales. This is where transaction trends, revenue breakdowns, and EV demand come into focus.
Key Takeaways
- 35% of U.S. car buyers in 2023 were millennials (aged 27-42), up from 28% in 2022.
- Female buyers accounted for 52% of U.S. new vehicle purchases in 2023, highest on record.
- Average age of U.S. new car buyer was 53 in 2023, with Gen X dominating at 38% share.
- U.S. EV retail sales reached 1.18 million units in 2023, with Tesla Model Y leading at 385,000.
- Plug-in hybrid sales grew 35% to 210,000 units in U.S. 2023 retail market.
- EV market share of U.S. new vehicle sales hit 7.6% in 2023, up from 5.8% in 2022.
- U.S. auto dealerships employed 1.2 million people in 2023, supporting 4.5 million indirect jobs.
- Average dealership employee count was 285 in 2023, up 5% from 2022.
- Technician shortage affected 76% of U.S. dealerships in 2023 survey.
- New vehicle inventory at U.S. dealerships averaged 2.7 million units by end of 2023, up 50% from 2022 lows.
- Average days' supply for new vehicles in U.S. retail fell to 65 days in Q4 2023 from 75 days in Q3.
- Used vehicle inventory at dealerships stood at 2.4 million units in December 2023, a 20% increase YoY.
- In 2023, U.S. new vehicle retail sales totaled 15.5 million units, marking a 13% increase from 2022, driven by improved supply chains.
- Auto dealerships in the U.S. generated $1.2 trillion in total revenue in 2023, with new vehicle sales contributing 62% of that figure.
- Average new vehicle transaction price in the U.S. rose to $48,759 in Q4 2023, up 3.5% year-over-year due to premium model demand.
EVs and online research are reshaping US auto retail in 2023, while demand grows across generations.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer Demographics And Behavior19 stats
01
35% of U.S. car buyers in 2023 were millennials (aged 27-42), up from 28% in 2022.
02
Female buyers accounted for 52% of U.S. new vehicle purchases in 2023, highest on record.
03
Average age of U.S. new car buyer was 53 in 2023, with Gen X dominating at 38% share.
04
68% of buyers researched vehicles online before visiting dealerships in 2023 survey.
05
Hispanic buyers grew to 22% of U.S. auto retail market in 2023, driving compact SUV sales.
06
41% of U.S. consumers traded in vehicles older than 7 years in 2023 purchases.
07
Loyalty rate for brand retention in U.S. auto sales was 52% in 2023, down from 55% pre-pandemic.
08
27% of buyers cited fuel efficiency as top priority in 2023 Cox Automotive survey.
09
Urban buyers preferred sedans at 18% rate vs 12% for rural in 2023 data.
10
Average time spent at dealership dropped to 3.2 hours in 2023 from 4.1 hours in 2022.
11
Gen Z (18-26) represented 15% of new vehicle buyers in 2023 U.S.
12
55% of buyers used mobile apps for price comparisons in 2023.
13
Income over $100k buyers grew to 48% share of luxury sales in 2023.
14
73% of repeat buyers chose same dealership in 2023 loyalty study.
15
Electric vehicle interest peaked at 39% among under-35 buyers in 2023.
16
Trade-in values averaged $24,800for used vehicles in 2023 deals.
17
29% of buyers prioritized safety tech features in 2023 surveys.
18
Suburban buyers favored trucks at 28% vs 19% urban in 2023.
19
Virtual test drives adopted by 24% of shoppers in 2023.
Interpretation
Consumer Demographics And Behavior Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. auto retail showed a clear shift in consumer demographics and behavior as 68% of buyers researched online first and Millennials rose to 35% of car buyers, alongside female buyers taking 52% of new vehicle purchases.
02 · Category
Electric And Alternative Vehicles21 stats
01
U.S. EV retail sales reached 1.18 million units in 2023, with Tesla Model Y leading at 385,000.
02
Plug-in hybrid sales grew 35% to 210,000 units in U.S. 2023 retail market.
03
EV market share of U.S. new vehicle sales hit 7.6% in 2023, up from 5.8% in 2022.
04
Battery electric vehicles outsold PHEVs 5:1 in U.S. retail in 2023.
05
Ford's EV retail sales increased 84% to 116,000 units in U.S. 2023.
06
Average EV transaction price fell 10% to $54,300 in Q4 2023 U.S. retail.
07
18% of U.S. luxury vehicle sales were EVs or hybrids in 2023.
08
California accounted for 42% of U.S. EV retail sales in 2023 at 499,000 units.
09
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle retail sales remained under 2,000 units in U.S. 2023.
10
GM EV sales totaled 75,000 units in U.S. retail 2023.
11
Hyundai EV retail share doubled to 4.5% in U.S. 2023.
12
EV inventory days' supply was 110 days vs 60 for gas in 2023.
13
Rivian delivered 50,000 R1 vehicles in U.S. retail-equivalent 2023.
14
PHEV sales led by Toyota RAV4 Prime at 42,000 units 2023 U.S.
15
EV incentives influenced 67% of purchases in 2023 surveys.
16
Public fast charger network grew 40% to 168,000 ports in 2023 U.S.
17
Legacy automakers' EVs captured 45% U.S. market share in 2023.
18
EV range anxiety dropped to 22% concern level in 2023 buyers.
19
5.8% EV share of U.S. new vehicle sales in 2022 (battery-electric vehicles as a share of new vehicle sales)
20
7.6% EV share of U.S. new vehicle sales in 2023 (battery-electric vehicles as a share of new vehicle sales) — segment view for 2023 EV share
21
Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 7.6% of U.S. new vehicle sales in 2023
Interpretation
Electric And Alternative Vehicles Interpretation
In the U.S. Electric And Alternative Vehicles market, EV adoption is accelerating with 7.6% of new vehicle sales in 2023 and Ford’s EV retail sales up 84% to 116,000 units, while falling average transaction prices down 10% to $54,300 signal increasing affordability for battery electric and plug in options.
report visual · Comparison
U.S. EV share of new vehicle sales
Battery-electric vehicles increased their share of U.S. new vehicle sales from 2022 to 2023, rising from 5.8% to 7.6%; 2023 is the leader and the gap between years is 1.8 percentag
7.6% EV share of U.S. new vehicle sales in 2023 (battery-electric vehicles as a share of new vehicle sales) — segment vi7.6%
Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 7.6% of U.S. new vehicle sales in 2023
7.6%
5.8% EV share of U.S. new vehicle sales in 2022 (battery-electric vehicles as a share of new vehicle sales)
5.8%
source-verifiediea.org2023
03 · Category
Employment And Operational Metrics17 stats
01
U.S. auto dealerships employed 1.2 million people in 2023, supporting 4.5 million indirect jobs.
02
Average dealership employee count was 285 in 2023, up 5% from 2022.
03
Technician shortage affected 76% of U.S. dealerships in 2023 survey.
04
Service department revenue per dealership averaged $18 million in 2023.
05
92% of dealerships offered remote work options to sales staff in 2023.
06
Parts and service gross margins hit 52% average for U.S. retailers in 2023.
07
Digital retailing adoption reached 65% of U.S. dealerships in 2023.
08
Average dealership F&I profit per vehicle was $2,150in 2023.
09
Dealership service bays averaged 22 per location in U.S. 2023.
10
F&I manager turnover rate was 28% across U.S. dealerships 2023.
11
Online service appointments booked 35% of total slots in 2023.
12
Average salesperson commission per vehicle was $1,450in 2023.
13
81% of dealerships invested in EV technician training in 2023.
14
Parts department staffing increased 10% to meet 2023 demand.
15
Customer satisfaction scores averaged 862/1000 for service in 2023.
16
Dealership operating expenses rose 6% to $1.8 million per store 2023.
17
Collision repair revenue per dealership hit $4.2 million average 2023.
Interpretation
Employment And Operational Metrics Interpretation
In 2023, auto dealerships employed 1.2 million people while 76% of dealerships reported technician shortages, highlighting how staffing pressure remains a major employment and operational challenge even as service and parts gross margins averaged 52%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Inventory And Supply Chain20 stats
01
New vehicle inventory at U.S. dealerships averaged 2.7 million units by end of 2023, up 50% from 2022 lows.
02
Average days' supply for new vehicles in U.S. retail fell to 65 days in Q4 2023 from 75 days in Q3.
03
Used vehicle inventory at dealerships stood at 2.4 million units in December 2023, a 20% increase YoY.
04
Semiconductor shortages reduced U.S. auto production by 1.2 million units in 2023, impacting retail supply.
05
45% of U.S. dealerships reported inventory levels at or above pre-pandemic averages by late 2023.
06
Import vehicle inventory share rose to 28% of U.S. new car stock in 2023 due to domestic production lags.
07
Average wholesale used vehicle auction price dropped 7% to $23,400 in Q4 2023 amid rising supply.
08
U.S. auto retailers turned inventory 8.2 times on average in 2023, fastest pace since 2019.
09
Logistics costs for vehicle transport increased 12% YoY in 2023, straining retail margins.
10
62% of new vehicle inventory in 2023 was 2023 model year stock at U.S. dealerships.
11
New vehicle days' supply averaged 68 days across U.S. in 2023.
12
Used retail inventory turned over every 42 days on average in 2023.
13
2024 model year vehicles comprised 55% of inventory by Dec 2023 U.S.
14
Rail transport disruptions delayed 15% of vehicle deliveries in 2023.
15
Average lot space utilization at dealerships was 78% in 2023.
16
Certified pre-owned inventory grew 18% to 1.8 million units in 2023.
17
Auction volume for used vehicles hit 8.5 million units in U.S. 2023.
18
Supplier lead times for parts shortened to 45 days average in Q4 2023.
19
Off-lease vehicles returned 2.7 million units to market in 2023.
20
EV charging station availability influenced 32% of inventory placement decisions in 2023.
Interpretation
Inventory And Supply Chain Interpretation
By end of 2023, U.S. dealerships had about 2.7 million new vehicles in stock and days’ supply dropped to 65, even as semiconductor-driven production cuts of 1.2 million units and a rising 28% import share showed how supply chain constraints are still reshaping inventory levels.
05 · Category
Sales And Revenue20 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. new vehicle retail sales totaled 15.5 million units, marking a 13% increase from 2022, driven by improved supply chains.
02
Auto dealerships in the U.S. generated $1.2 trillion in total revenue in 2023, with new vehicle sales contributing 62% of that figure.
03
Average new vehicle transaction price in the U.S. rose to $48,759in Q4 2023, up 3.5% year-over-year due to premium model demand.
04
U.S. used vehicle retail sales hit 20.1 million units in 2023, accounting for 56% of total light vehicle retail transactions.
05
Luxury vehicle segment sales grew 8.2% in 2023 to 3.1 million units in the U.S., led by brands like BMW and Mercedes.
06
Pickup truck sales in the U.S. reached 2.9 million units in 2023, representing 19% of total new vehicle sales.
07
SUV and crossover sales dominated U.S. market with 11.2 million units sold in 2023, or 72% of new vehicle sales.
08
Electric vehicle retail sales in the U.S. surged 49% to 1.2 million units in 2023, per Cox Automotive data.
09
Franchise dealership gross profit per new vehicle retailed averaged $2,850in 2023, up 15% from prior year.
10
U.S. auto retail financing penetration reached 85% for new vehicles in 2023, with average loan amount at $39,500.
11
U.S. new light vehicle sales were 15.6 million units in 2023, up 12.4% YoY.
12
Total U.S. auto retail sales value exceeded $1.1 trillion in 2023.
13
Compact SUV sales grew 15% to 2.8 million units in U.S. 2023.
14
Used car average price was $27,300in U.S. retail Q4 2023.
15
Full-size pickup sales led by Ford F-Series at 750,000 units in 2023 U.S.
16
Midsize SUV sales totaled 1.9 million units, 12% YoY growth in 2023.
17
Hybrid vehicle sales rose 42% to 1.1 million units in U.S. 2023 retail.
18
Import brand sales share was 49% of U.S. new vehicles in 2023.
19
Gross profit per used vehicle retailed averaged $2,420in 2023 U.S.
20
Lease penetration in new vehicle sales was 22% in U.S. 2023.
Interpretation
Sales And Revenue Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. auto dealerships generated $1.2 trillion in revenue with new vehicle sales making up 62%, while new vehicle retail volume rose 13% to 15.5 million units thanks to improved supply chains.
Reference
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Auto Retail Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auto-retail-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Auto Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/auto-retail-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Auto Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auto-retail-industry-statistics.