(Reuters) – U.S. customers are utilizing their present automobiles for longer because the stock of latest automobiles and light-weight vans stays constrained resulting from provide chain challenges, marking an all-time excessive for the typical age, in keeping with a report from S&P World (NYSE:) Mobility.

The common age of sunshine automobiles in operation (VIO) in the USA rose to 12.2 years this yr, growing by practically two months from the prior yr, the report stated.

The pandemic led customers to shift from utilizing from public transport and shared transport to non-public automobiles, and since prospects couldn’t improve their automobiles, demand for used automobiles have accelerated and boosted the typical car age additional, the report stated.

Stress on world provide chains worsened in April as COVID-19 lockdown measures in China and the warfare in Ukraine lengthened supply instances, and air freight prices between the USA and Asia rose, the New York Federal Reserve reported in its newest replace to a worldwide index of provide issues.

The common age of sunshine automobiles in operation within the U.S. is predicted to rise via 2022 and 2023, because the pipeline for brand new car manufacturing and gross sales continues to be weighed down by components shortages, the report stated.

Provide chain constraints have led to a lower in car scrappage, which measures the variety of automobiles leaving the car inhabitants, and has been a catalyst for the rise in common age over time.

The report additionally stated demand for battery electrical automobiles (BEVs) within the U.S. has been increasing quickly over the previous few years.

The common age of electrical automobiles within the U.S. is 3.8 years of age this yr, down from 3.9 final yr, and has been hovering between 3 and 4.1 years since 2016.