Hyperdrive
U.S. Car Sales Seen Dropping as Buyers Stymied by Chip Shortages
- September auto sales likely slowed to 12.3 million annual pace
- Early optimism gives way to resignation about low inventories
This article is for subscribers only.
Soumya Rangarajan wanted her next car to be electric. She placed an order for a Volkswagen ID.4, but after six months of waiting to get her hands on the sport-utility vehicle, she gave up. She decided to buy out the lease on her gas-powered Ford Escape instead.
“I would still like to get an electric vehicle, but I’m buying out my Escape because I need something to drive,” said Rangarajan, who works as a hospital doctor in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “I just don’t know how long this holdup is going to be.”