Hamilton County vehicle sales
The number of new vehicles licensed in Hamilton County last year fell to a 7-year low as the drop in car sales more than offset gains in truck sales by local dealers.2018: 12,127 vehicles, including 8,098 trucks and 4,029 cars2017: 13,034 vehicles, including 8,041 trucks and 4,993 cars2016: 12,995 vehicles, including 7,664 trucks and 5,271 cars2015: 13,020 vehicles, including 7,580 trucks and 5,440 cars2014: 12,542 vehicles, including 7,036 trucks and 5,506 cars2013: 12,200 vehicles, including 6,523 trucks and 5,677 cars2012: 12,386 vehicles, including 6,429 trucks and 5,957 cars2011: 10,948 vehicles, including 5,834 trucks and 5,114 cars2010: 9,512 vehicles, including 5,070 trucks and 4,442 cars2009: 7,939 vehicles, including 3,908 trucks and 4,031 carsSource: Hamilton County Clerk’s Office
Despite a 32 percent drop in sales of the Chattanooga-made Passat last year, Volkswagen of America boosted overall sales during 2018 by more than doubling its sales of SUVs, including its new Chattanooga-made Atlas.
VW ended the year with a strong 5.8 percent jump in sales during December, including record sales of its Atlas and a slight upturn in Passat sales last month.
A Volkswagen employee walks around the outside of a vehicle inspecting different parts at the Volkswagen Assembly Plant Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. “Our sales over the past year showed that we’re moving in the right direction in meeting consumer demand,” said Derrick Hatami, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Volkswagen of America. “SUV percentage of sales more than doubled for the brand in 2018 and more than quintupled over the past five years.”
Scott Keogh, CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America, conceded that VW “was a little bit late to the SUV game” as American motorists have increasingly shifted from sedan passenger cars into SUVs and trucks.