More News: Fleet Sales Improve YOY in April, Outperform Retail Sales
Fleet Sales Drop by a Fifth Year Over Year in May
Broken down, government fleets were up 5.9% YOY, commercial fleets down by 0.1%, and rental fleet volume down 33% from last May.

After including dealer and manufacturer fleet sales, the total fleet share of all sales was 13.9%, up from last May’s fleet share of 12.2%, due to weakness in retail sales.
Source: Cox Automotive
Sales into large fleets, including sales into dealer and manufacturer fleets, decreased 0.4% month over month in May to 154,047 units, according to an early estimate from Cox Automotive released June 6.
Combined sales into large rental, commercial, and government fleets decreased nearly 20% from May 2021. Sales into government fleets were up 5.9% year over year while commercial fleets were down a fraction at 0.1% year over year. Meanwhile, rental fleet volume remains extremely low, down 33% from last May.
Total May new-vehicle sales were 1.105 million, down 30% from last year with two fewer selling days than May 2021, with an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of sales near 12.7 million, hitting a low point of the year.
Retail sales were down slightly more at 31%, leading to an estimated retail SAAR of 10.9 million, down nearly 27% from last May’s 14.8 million pace and down 13% from last month’s 12.5 million level.
After including dealer and manufacturer fleet sales, the total fleet share of all sales was 13.9%, up from last May’s fleet share of 12.2%, due to weakness in retail sales.
Among manufacturers, GM and Stellantis both saw gains over last year while Toyota saw large declines.
Originally posted on Vehicle Remarketing
More Rental Operations

Turo and Tesla Take the Next Step Toward Autonomous Car Rentals
The partnership brings Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology into the rental experience, offering a glimpse of how increasingly automated vehicles could change car rental.
Read More →
How Rental Operators Can Navigate Personalized Pricing Rules
As regulators scrutinize the use of customer data in pricing, rental operators need to know whether they can explain why one renter pays more than another.
Read More →
Direct, Broker or Hybrid? How Travel Retailers Source Rental Cars
As travel retailers weigh direct supplier relationships against third-party distribution, rental operators need to understand how those decisions affect their business.
Read More →
How Did This Independent Rental Operator Grow to 170 Vehicles in 4 Years?
With 170 vehicles across three Kentucky locations, Joel Price relies on an overseas team to handle reservations, payments, and after-hours customer service. It's one part of an unconventional approach to growing an independent rental operation.
Read More →
What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers
The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.
Read More →
