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there has been a lot of talk about COVID19 leading to an implosion of used car values, this is affecting big automakers who have large lease portfolios, Ford an

there has been a lot of talk about COVID19 leading to an implosion of used car values, this is affecting big automakers who have large lease portfolios, Ford and GM each are well past twenty billion here so I expect Hertz cannot be helped by this pressure

iso1631 6y ago
> there has been a lot of talk about COVID19 leading to an implosion of used car values I don't get that. Surely people still need to travel, and are less likely to take public transport, wouldn't that drive up demand rather than drive down? OK people might not be commuting 5 times a week, and perhaps doing fewer miles overall, but you'd still need a car. If you live in a walkable city, then your requirement for a car hasn't changed if you are no longer walking/subwaying to the office
- caseyohara 6y ago
  40 million people in the U.S. are unemployed right now and are not likely to buy a new car.
  - iso1631 6y ago
    Hence buying a used car instead... My understanding with americans is that having a car is more essential than having a house
    - Talanes 6y ago
      Most people who need cars have cars, and are putting less wear on them right now.
    - xsmasher 6y ago
      Two working people may need two cars; two unemployed people need one or zero cars.
    - perl4ever 6y ago
      You can sleep in your car but you can't drive your house.
- marcinzm 6y ago
  I'd guess that most used car sales are to people who already owned a car rather than first time car owners. Given less usage and an economic downturn people are going to be more likely to just keep their existing car for longer. And households with two cars won't bother replacing one even if it breaks beyond repair.
- nikanj 6y ago
  More people are going to drive their cars until the wheels come off. For many, upgrading their car means going from a used car to a slightly less used car. Those sales are on hold now.
- iamatworknow 6y ago
  It depends on what segment of the car buying populace you're looking at. I work in the used car sale industry, and our business has been pretty flat over the past couple months. The companies I work with typically do the no credit check "buy here pay here" subprime financing thing. Defaults and repossessions have always been common in that segment, and the typical customer is working a job that has been part of the essential group (a lot of lower paid food/service work). Those with good credit and a reliable if not older working car probably aren't buying cars much right now, but these people definitely are.
- logifail 6y ago
  > Surely people still need to travel [..] They might not be allowed to... Data point: I have two vehicles parked outside the house right now, I have purchased exactly one tank of fuel for each of them since the start of March.
sjg007 6y ago
Maybe we will get another "cash for clunkers" program out of this.

iso1631 6y ago

> there has been a lot of talk about COVID19 leading to an implosion of used car values I don't get that. Surely people still need to travel, and are less likely to take public transport, wouldn't that drive up demand rather than drive down? OK people might not be commuting 5 times a week, and perhaps doing fewer miles overall, but you'd still need a car. If you live in a walkable city, then your requirement for a car hasn't changed if you are no longer walking/subwaying to the office

caseyohara 6y ago
40 million people in the U.S. are unemployed right now and are not likely to buy a new car.
- iso1631 6y ago
  Hence buying a used car instead... My understanding with americans is that having a car is more essential than having a house
  - Talanes 6y ago
    Most people who need cars have cars, and are putting less wear on them right now.
  - xsmasher 6y ago
    Two working people may need two cars; two unemployed people need one or zero cars.
  - perl4ever 6y ago
    You can sleep in your car but you can't drive your house.
marcinzm 6y ago
I'd guess that most used car sales are to people who already owned a car rather than first time car owners. Given less usage and an economic downturn people are going to be more likely to just keep their existing car for longer. And households with two cars won't bother replacing one even if it breaks beyond repair.
nikanj 6y ago
More people are going to drive their cars until the wheels come off. For many, upgrading their car means going from a used car to a slightly less used car. Those sales are on hold now.
iamatworknow 6y ago
It depends on what segment of the car buying populace you're looking at. I work in the used car sale industry, and our business has been pretty flat over the past couple months. The companies I work with typically do the no credit check "buy here pay here" subprime financing thing. Defaults and repossessions have always been common in that segment, and the typical customer is working a job that has been part of the essential group (a lot of lower paid food/service work). Those with good credit and a reliable if not older working car probably aren't buying cars much right now, but these people definitely are.
logifail 6y ago
> Surely people still need to travel [..] They might not be allowed to... Data point: I have two vehicles parked outside the house right now, I have purchased exactly one tank of fuel for each of them since the start of March.

sjg007 6y ago

Maybe we will get another "cash for clunkers" program out of this.