California Vehicle Sales Climbed 25% In 2012
The new vehicle market in California continued its winning streak
at the end of 2012, with new registrations increasing 22 percent in
the Fourth Quarter versus a year earlier. It was the 15th consecutive
year-over-year quarterly increase. Last year’s annual total exceeded
1.6 million units, a 25.3 percent increase from 2011.
“The release of pent up demand, easing credit conditions, and strong
trade in values helped the market last year and should continue to
support sales in 2013” says the California New Car Dealer Assn newsletter. “ Auto Outlook is predicting a smaller 8.2
percent improvement this year, but registrations are expected to
reach approximately 1.75 million units.”
Other key trends in the state market:
• Among the top 15 selling brands in the state, Kia had the largest
percentage increase last year, up 53.3 percent.
• Korean, Japanese, European, and Detroit Three brand registrations
each increased by more than 17 percent last year.
• Passenger car share increased 2.4 share points. SUVs were
down two points.
• The state market was up 25.3 percent last year, well above the
national 13.4 percent increase.
• Hybrid vehicle market share increased by two market share
points last year. Electric vehicle share fell to just 0.2 percent.
Prius was the top selling car in2012 ,edging out Honda Civic.For F Series held a 34% market share in full size trucks, ahead of Chevy.
Western US Home Sales Up
The National Association of Realtors reports today that existing-home sales in the West rose 5.1 percent to a pace of 1.23 million in December and are 8.8 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the West was $239,900, which is 17.3 percent above December 2011.
Kern County Biz News
Kern County helped dedicate the new $50 million, 46 acre Caterpillar parts distribution facility at the foot of the Grapevine this month. The 400,000 sf facility employs 150.
Also in recent months Paramount Agricultural Company,owned by Stewart Resnick expanded Shafter’s International Trade and Transportation Center by 362 acres taking over ownership and marketing of the industrial park from the Allen Group. The sprawling complex is already home to Target distribution center.The move puts Mr Resnick as a major player not only in ag industries but now in industrial real estate.
Iberdrola – the second largest operator in the US renewables sector has dedicated the the Manzana wind power complex – one of the company’s largest wind farm facilities in the world, with an installed capacity of 189MW. It is located in Kern County, close to the towns of Rosamond and Tehachapi and comprises 126 GE 1.5MW turbines.
Earlier this month two Californian wind energy projects have reached completion, bringing 300MW of new capacity onto the state’s grid, developer MidAmerican wind said.
The 168MW Pinyon Pines Wind I and 132 MW Pinyon Pines II projects, located near Tehachapi, interconnected to Southern California Edison’s Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project, which connects wind capacity in the Tehachapi area to the wider transmission system.
Southern California Edison will purchase electricity from each of the projects under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Also in January MidAmerican Solar announced the acquisition from SunPower of the 579-megawatt Antelope Valley Solar Projects (AVSP), two co-located projects in Kern and Los Angeles Counties in Calif. Together, the two combined projects will form the largest permitted solar photovoltaic power development in the world and will create an estimated 650 jobs during construction.