03:36 PM EDT, 04/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- General Motors ( GM ) said Tuesday its US vehicle sales fell 1.5% year over year in the first quarter due to lower fleet deliveries.

The Detroit automaker delivered 594,233 vehicles in the quarter, down from 603,208 a year earlier. GMC deliveries fell 4.8% to 124,378, while Cadillac dropped 2.4% to 35,451. Chevrolet deliveries slid 2.1% to 389,763 units, while Buick's tally jumped 16% to 44,385 units, led by an 8.8% gain in Encore GX.

First-quarter total retail sales grew 6%, with Buick jumping 10%, reflecting its best total sales since 2021, the company said. Cadillac retail sales rose 9%, while Chevrolet and GMC gained 6% and 3%, respectively. The Hummer electric vehicle recorded its best-ever sales at 1,668 units, while Cadillac Lyriq deliveries propelled to 5,800 units from 968 a year earlier, according to GM.

"Our brands are all performing well," Marissa West, GM president of North America, said. "GM gained retail market share year-over-year with strong mix and pricing, our inventories are in good shape heading into the spring, and production and deliveries of Ultium Platform EVs are rising, led by the Cadillac Lyriq."

The company sold 197,000 full-size pickups, marking the best first quarter since 2020. GM Envolve retail sales declined 23% amid temporary output constraints for midsize pickups and vans, though the company said those issues have now been resolved.

GM shares were down 1.2% in Tuesday late-afternoon trade.

The company said shipments of Chevrolet Equinox EV are scheduled to start in first half 2024, while the first Chevrolet Silverado EV designed for retail customers is likely to begin deliveries in the coming months.

Separately, Tesla (TSLA) said Tuesday it delivered 386,810 vehicles for the first quarter, compared with projections on Visible Alpha for about 454,200 units. The deliveries decreased both on sequential and annual bases, partially impacted by factory shutdowns.

GM is scheduled to report its first-quarter financial results April 23. Analysts polled by Capital IQ project normalized earnings at $2.02 per share on revenue of $41.51 billion. A year earlier, the company reported adjusted EPS of $2.21 on revenue of $39.99 billion.

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