Begbils report: Second quarter strongest in two and a half years

How did the used car market perform in the second quarter of this year? During the quarter, a total of 326,814 cars were sold, divided between the car trade, the private market and companies. This compares with 316,751 cars sold during the same period in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of 3.2%. It was also the fifth consecutive quarter with increased sales compared to the same period last year.

Electrified cars continue to increase

Exports continued to increase, but not at the same pace as before. The increase came instead from domestic sales, and from electrified vehicles. Sales of electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars rose from 48 to 64 percent, while gasoline and diesel cars continued to decline, just like in previous quarters.

Measured in terms of number of cars, Stockholm County once again had the largest increase in sales. In the capital region, approximately 3,500 more cars were sold compared to the same period last year, which corresponds to an increase of 5.7 percent. In percentage terms, sales increased the most in Uppsala County (+7.4%), Östergötland County (+6.5%) and Västernorrland County (+5.9%).

– We have seen a significant increase in sales in recent months. Many customers who have previously waited to buy a car now feel that the time is right because interest rates are coming down. At the same time, interest rates are still high, which means that many people choose the used market over buying a new car, says Daniel Odsberg, Sales Manager at Kvdbil .

– There is still some way to go to what were normal sales levels before the pandemic, but at this rate we expect the market to be there before the end of the year. However, this assumes that the economy and purchasing power continue to develop in the right direction, Odsberg adds.

Price picture more stable in Q2

Prices rose sharply at the beginning of the year, according to statistics from Kvdbil 's sister company Bilpriser, which is based on sales at kvd.se. Diesel cars in particular saw a price increase, which is believed to be due, among other things, to lower diesel prices. During the second quarter, prices have been more stable.

– Increased demand and limited supply indicate that prices on the used market will continue to be high. It is important to remember that fewer new registrations have a negative impact on supply, as fewer people are replacing their old cars. The increased sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids also strengthen the price picture, as these vehicles are on average more expensive, says Daniel Odsberg.

Golf remains the most popular

The Volkswagen Golf continued to be the best-selling model in the second quarter, with 14,090 units sold. This was 480 more than the Volvo V70, which sold 13,610 units. In third place was the Volvo V60, with 9,484 units sold.

Sales statistics for the passenger car market, Q2 2024

About the compilation
Kvdbil 's statistics on used car purchases in Sweden are obtained from the Swedish Car Register via the statistics company Vroom. The price trend is based on sales at kvd.se (approximately 20,000 per year) and is measured through the BPI (used car price index) by our sister company Bilpriser.se .