New light vehicle sales in July saw significant gains in some of the lower volume provinces, reports DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

The Atlantic region in particular saw strong sales increases for the month, with Newfoundland up an estimated 41.2%, PEI up 39.7%, Nova Scotia up 31.6%, and New Brunswick up 22.0%.

Saskatchewan also noted a strong increase at 22.6% for the month.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ontario and British Columbia noted single digit growth at 6.9% and 7.4% respectively.

This sales imbalance was present in the year-to-date totals as well with Newfoundland up 21.5% over 2023 and British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta up 7.4%, 8.2%, and 8.6% respectively.

“Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta have seen relatively slower growth in 2024 compared to the broader Canadian market” commented Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC.

“While the initial recovery in vehicle availability in 2023 was regionally uneven, product supply is now strong enough that all markets are seeing plentiful supply.”

Total new light vehicle sales reached an estimated 161,000 for July 2024, up 11.0% with year-to-date sales up 10.5% over the same time in 2023.