• June 1, 2011

GM Says May Sales Rise 9% On Demand for Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

General Motors said it sold 221,192 vehicles last month, including a 9% increase in retail sales compared to May 2010.

Chevrolet Cruze volume was up 150% and had its best retail sales since its launch. Dealers dealers reported 18,996 retail deliveries. GM said sales of GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox crossovers were up 58% during the month. Passenger car and crossover retail sales were up 32% and 17% respectively.

The company said it has cut fleet sales, which were down 16% as rental volumes declined 21%.

Ford reported May sales were 192,102, equal to a year ago, with retail sales up 5% and fleet sales down 8%. Year-to-date, total sales were 878,600, up 12%. Retail sales were up 14% and fleet sales were up 8%.

Chrysler Group LLC said U.S. sales were 115,363 for the month, a 10% increase compared with sales in May 2010 of 104,819 units. The company said last month was the best May since 2008.

The company said it was its 14th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, "Confirmation that our 2011 models continue to resonate with consumers," said Fred Diaz, President and CEO - Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales, in a statement