Vehicle sales showed continued growth in 2023, at least until May when there was a contraction that saw them rise just 0.3% year-on-year, slowing sales growth that stood at 4.8% through April, according to Ecuador’s Association of Automobile Companies (Aeades).

However, the segment that showed the opposite behavior was motorcycles, which recorded a recovery in sales last May with sales of 19,948 units, offsetting the downward trend shown in April when sales fell by 5.6%.

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Nevertheless, comparing sales from January to April this year (59,080 units), it was observed that the amount sold in the same period in 2022 (58,741) was exceeded; And with the figures for May, motorcycle sales in the first five months of this year reached 79,049, 1,484 more than in the same period in 2022 and 15,169 more than in 2021.

However, according to Genaro Baldeón, CEO of Aeade, despite the increase in May last year, projections show that the year will end with a slight decline.

What happened in May?

Baldeón explained that May is a month in which motorcycle sales traditionally show an increase, like November every year, but this is not a constant that is repeated in other months.

“Sales increase in May and November every year. In May, it coincides with people buying from the profits made in April, which affects sales. While November coincides with the Black Friday cycle,” the host explained.

A decline in motorcycle sales is also observed. He explained that although in late 2020 and throughout 2021, motorcycles have become a working tool to meet the demand for the service deliveryreflected in sales growth, the market has returned to stable demand levels for motorcycles in recent months as these types of services have been reduced by the return to face-to-face activities after the pandemic.

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This is reflected in the slowdown in sales. In 2022, 182,755 motorcycles were sold, almost 10% more than those sold in 2021 (164,561 units), but almost less than half of the increase that year (26%) compared to 2020 sales that were placed at 130,483 motorcycle.

However, the Ecuadorian market has a distinct preference for motorcycles. The Chinese lead the way in sales and also reach 76% of the market thanks to product variety and competitive pricing, according to Baldeón, who added that the Asian giant is the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturer and exporter and has strengthened its presence over the years, especially in emerging markets. such as Latin America.

Thus, among the ten best-selling motorcycle brands in Ecuador, seven are Chinese, and four are leading in that category. top 10, in which the first brand appears in fifth place, namely the Indian brand Bajaj; the Japanese Honda appears in sixth place.

These are the best selling motorcycle brands in Ecuador from January to May 2023:

In this first five-month period, Guayas leads the provinces that buy the most motorcycles with 23,179 units. In total, 29.3% of all motorcycles sold nationwide from January to May were sold in this province. It is closely followed by Manabí with 9797 motorcycles sold.

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These are the five provinces where motorcycles are bought the most:

In terms of cylinder volume, Ecuadorians prefer motorcycles up to 150 cubic centimeters. Of the 79,049 sold up to last May, 43,021 were of this displacement, while 34,620 were from 151 to 300 cc, 1,021 motorcycles from 301 cc to 500 cc, 179 units from 501 cc to 750 cc and from 751 cc onwards were sold. only 209. (I)