Fleet Sales May Help Explain Why Nissan Faltered, Fiat Chrysler Beat
Nissan U.S. Sales Plunged in April
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Nissan Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s U.S. sales surprises last month are easier to understand with data that few carmakers release: how many vehicles they shipped to fleet customers.
Those deliveries surged 31 percent last month for Fiat Chrysler and fell 12 percent for Nissan, according to Cox Automotive estimates. Fleet sales are generally viewed less favorably because they tend to be discounted, and too many of them can depress the value of vehicles that regular consumers own.