New models, better financing conditions and increased imports of used units would boost the sale of electric vehicles next year in Costa Rica.
Danissa, Q Group, BMW and Laudreni Auto, agencies in the country dedicated to marketing electric vehicles, estimate that between 2019 and 2020 their combined sales will increase by 45%, from 342 to 497 units.
Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua are the Central American markets which reported reductions in sales of new and used vehicles during 2018.
According to figures from the Ministry of Finance of Costa Rica, from January to November 2018 imports of new vehicles totaled 31,008 units, and used vehicles 17,134 units, registering falls of 12% and 23% respectively compared to the first eleven months of 2017.
During the first semester of the year the sale of 108,000 new vehicles was recorded, well above the 67,000 used units sold in the same period.
According to figures from the Superintendency of Tax Administration, between January and June 2017 and the same period of this year, sales of new vehicles went up by 28%, rising from 84,075 units to 107,949 units.
Entrepreneurs in the sector have stated that the phenomenon affects Costa Rica exclusively, since at the global level prices of automobile sales are maintaining an upward trajectory.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Finance in Costa Rica, 5,835 new and used units came into the country in the first five months of the year, which represents a 16% drop compared to the same period in 2017.
Up to December 2017, 45% of the vehicles circulating in countries in the region were automobiles, and 13% were light load units.
Data from the report "Vehicular Fleet in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, details the different characteristics of the vehicles that transit the streets of Central American countries.
The union of the sector reported that in 2017 the country bought 99,316 vehicles, 75% of which are used and the remaining 25% corresponded to new units.
According to the Association of Dealers of Vehicle Manufacturers (Acofave), the behavior that has been recorded in the Dominican market is explained by the high tax burden to which new vehicles are subject, which ranges between 50% and 60%.
Currently, the average engine size of new cars sold in Guatemala is 1,485 cc, while in 2011, the average size was around 1,625 cc.
Figures from CentralAmericaData's report entitled "Central American Vehicle Park" show that between 2011 and 2017, the average engine size of the vans sold in Guatemala was also reduced, as in 2011 average engine capacity was 2,962 cc, while in 2017 this figure is around 2,419 cc.
In December 2016, 20% of the vehicles circulating in the countries of the region were between 1 and 5 years old, and 19% between 6 and 10 years old.
Data from the report"Vehicle Fleet in Central America 2016" compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaDatashows the different characteristics of the vehicles circulating in Central American countries.
In Costa Rica, companies in the automotive sector predict that eventual abrupt increases in the price of the dollar would have a greater impact on the spare parts market than on the sale of vehicles.
Most of the vehicle distribution agencies in the country agree that if the exchange rate continues its upward trend, a negative effect could be seen on the automotive spare parts market, since these are products that are imported in dollars but sold in colones, the local currency.In the case of vehicles, which are marketed in dollars, most companies believe that the dollar price increase has not yet had a significant impact, but they are focusing on advising their customers on how to manage the foreign exchange risk when taking out a loan to buy a car.
In 2016 the imported value of spare parts for vehicles totaled $37 million, 9% more than the imports recorded in 2015.
Figures from the information system on the Auto Parts and Accessories Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData
Of the total number of vehicles circulating in the country in December 2016, 35% were automobiles, 31% motorcycles, 22% light-duty vehicles and 7% heavy load vehicles.
Figures from the report "Central American Vehicle Park", prepared by CentralAmericaData's Business Intelligence Unit, show that as of December 2016, 2.2 million vehicles were circulating in Guatemala, of which more than half were automobiles and motorcycles.
The distributors' association reports a reduction of almost 4% in new vehicle sales for the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2016.
Jean Pierre Devaux, executive director of the Association of Importers and Distributors of Motor Vehicles (Aidva), commented to S21.gt that between January and March of this year"...6 thousand 894 new units have been sold."
In 2016 the imported value of spare parts for vehicles totaled $62 million, 15% more than the imports recorded in 2015.
Figures from the information system on the Auto Parts and Accessories Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
In 2016 the value of imports of lubricants from the United States fell by 6% compared to 2015, going from $96 million $90 million.
Figures from the information system on the the Lubricants Market in Central America , compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData : [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
About 50% of the 147,000 new vehicles sold between March 2016 and December 2017 were financed by banks and financial institutions, for close to $1 billion.
An analysis of the vehicle fleet in Costa Rica by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData reveals that placement of loans for vehicle purchases during the period between March 2016 and March this year amounted to $1.2355 billion.