The average age of American cars and light trucks increased by 12.1 years during 2020 as Americans drove less and sold more vehicles during the coronavirus pandemic.
The research firm says the two-month increase in the average age of cars over 2019 may be short-lived as sales of both new and used cars continue to rise.
Used car miles in the U.S. fell about 13 percent in 2020, according to IHS, as more than 15 million cars were abandoned.
Such a rate of residual cars would cause the average age of the car to drop. Semiconductor shortages also disrupted car production, resulting in lower dealer inventories.
IHS reports that such factors could cause the average vehicle age to decline in 2021 as more owners sell or trade in their older used vehicles.
