Analysts project 2024 sales to top 15.8 million vehicles
GM39;s sales near 2.7 million, Stellantis and Tesla face challenges
EV sales rise to 8 of total, up slightly from 2023

DETROIT, Jan 3 Reuters U.S. newcar sales in 2024 continued to rise from their pandemic lows, bolstered by replenished inventories and higher incentives, analysts estimated.

Sales are expected to top 15.8 million, the highest level since 2019, with General Motors defending its 2023 sales crown, they said.

It39;s been a volatile year for the newvehicle market, but it is expected to finish on a high note, said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive.

Those strong sales have been supported by what GM Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson called a remarkably resilient consumer. The Detroit automaker39;s sales are near 2.7 million for the year, Cox analysts estimated.

Automakers will report their final sales tallies throughout the day on Friday.

It was a good year for most major automakers, except for Jeepmaker Stellantis and electric vehicle giant Tesla which did not notch yearoveryear sales gains like the others.

Stellantis had a particularly rocky 2024, with sales of its popular Ram, Jeep and Dodge brands all decreasing, thirdquarter company reports show. The FrenchItalian automaker grappled with fallout from an aggressive pricing strategy that ultimately led to former CEO Carlos Tavares39; abrupt departure.

Tesla has faced slowing sales as its lineup grows stale, and…