Car companies will have much higher turnover in 2023

The Dutch car and motorcycle sector recorded a turnover increase of no less than 15.7 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. The sub-sector ‘trade in and repair of passenger cars’ recorded by far the largest turnover increase. In that sector, turnover increased by almost 20 percent compared to 2022. Importers – this includes motorcycle importers – could not complain either. They saw their turnover increase by more than 16 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

Was it all roses all year round then? Yes and no. Although more turnover was generated throughout 2023 than a year earlier, the year started mainly with high turnover increases. This was partly due to the fact that back orders – outstanding orders – were cleared. Sales of electric cars also increased and both cars and parts simply became more expensive. In the last quarter of 2023, the CBS figures show that the catch-up was over and the increasing sales of EVs stagnated. Not only that, price increases also decreased in the fourth quarter. The turnover increase in the car and motorcycle sector in the last quarter of 2023 was only 0.45 percent higher than in the same quarter a year earlier. In the subsector ‘trade in and repair of passenger cars’, turnover in that quarter was only 1.7 percent higher than in the last quarter of 2023. Also interesting: approximately half of the companies in the car and motorcycle sector indicate a shortage of workers, although the number of vacancies has decreased slightly.