In the first quarter of 2026, participating manufacturers sold 423 new and 70 pre-owned motorcoaches, for a total of 493 units, according to the American Bus Association’s (ABA) First Quarter Motorcoach Builders Survey, which is conducted by the ABA’s research arm, the American Bus Association Foundation.

The Foundation produces the report each quarter, using data collected from surveys of major motorcoach manufacturers that sell vehicles in the US and Canada.

The 493 units sold in Q1, compared with 457 in the first quarter of 2025 (Figure 1), represent a 7.9% year-over-year increase.

A Closer Look at the Survey Figures

Sales of new motorcoaches increased by 7.6% compared to the same quarter in 2025, while pre-owned motorcoach sales rose by 9.4% (Figures 2 and 3). Both segments posted moderate gains in Q1 following stronger growth in late 2025.

Sales to private entities decreased by 19.4% while sales to public entities increased by 267.6% compared to the first quarter of 2025 (Figure 4).

First-quarter 2026 results indicate a motorcoach manufacturing market continuing to normalize after several years of disruption and volatility, said ABA officials, who added that demand appears to be settling into a more stable operating environment, with manufacturers and operators adjusting to current market conditions.

Current Sales Trends, Impact

While sales remain 22% below the same period in 2019 (Figure 5), comparisons to pre-pandemic levels may be less indicative of current market dynamics as the industry adapts to structural changes in demand and operator composition, officials said.

At the same time, the decline in private sector sales will require continued monitoring.

Tariffs, new-model-year engine requirements, insurance costs, and broader operating pressures in the private motorcoach market remain key considerations and may be influencing purchasing behavior. However, it is too early to determine their long-term impact based solely on Q1 data, explained ABA President/CEO Fred Ferguson.

“Overall, the Q1 OEM results are encouraging for the industry and reflect a manufacturing market that is continuing to stabilize despite ongoing economic and regulatory pressures,” said Ferguson. “Manufacturers are facing real uncertainty tied to tariffs, supply chain costs, and broader market conditions, so it is positive to see diversified demand across both public and private sectors helping support these critical partners to America’s private motorcoach industry.”

Ferguson added that private motorcoach operators are also contending with rising costs and a more challenging regulatory landscape.

Early Q1 data suggest that factors such as tariffs, insurance premiums, fuel volatility, new engine requirements, and other expenses may be shaping purchasing decisions. However, it is too soon to draw firm conclusions.

Those pressures, Ferguson said, underscore the need for continued focus on ABA’s affordability agenda — particularly efforts to push back on strict idling enforcement, review the insurance market, preserve fuel tax fairness, address tolling issues, and ensure greater regulatory and financial parity with public transit systems.