3 Ways Rising Gas Prices Are Impacting the Auto Industry

A gas pump is seen at a Shell gas station in Houston, Texas on April 1, 2022. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Chip shortages, supply chain disruptions and depleted inventory levels are just three of the headwinds auto stock investors have been dealing with in recent quarters. On Tuesday, Bank of America analyst John Murphy said auto investors can now add skyrocketing gas prices to the mix of problems for the auto industry.

Murphy said the near-term impact of rising gas prices should be minimal for auto stocks, but it may begin to weigh on long-term demand at some point. U.S. gasoline prices are up more than 100 percent year-over-year to $4.176 per gallon, and Murphy highlighted three ways soaring gas prices are impacting the auto industry.

Pain At The Pump

First, Murphy said higher gas prices may negatively impact the new vehicle sales mix. While gas prices typically don’t hurt overall unit demand, consumers may start to choose more lower-margin, fuel-efficient passenger cars or even electric vehicles over higher-margin crossovers, trucks, and SUVs.