Toyota Motor Corp. said its global output last month soared 35% from a year earlier to a May record of 947,874 vehicles as pandemic-related supply disruptions continued to ease, while sales rose 11%.
Output of Toyota-branded cars and Lexus models reached 847,000 units, according to a statement Thursday, broadly in line with the company’s forecast.
Including brands Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., Toyota sold 906,715 vehicles globally last month.
“To respond to the robust demand, we have been increasing domestic as well as global output, leading to the highest output in May,” the world’s biggest automaker said.
Toyota sold 9,923 battery electric vehicles in May, up from about 8,500 in April, with the vast majority going to buyers outside of Japan. The automaker has set a target to produce 1.5 million battery EVs a year by 2026.
Toyota shares slipped 0.5% Thursday. They’re up 26% this year.
Separately, Honda Motor Co. said its May production also rose 35% from a year earlier to 329,066 vehicles, the third-straight monthly increase. Global sales for Japan’s second-largest automaker climbed 24% to 325,641 units, helped by a strong performance in the US.
Nissan Motor Co. also released figures that showed its output and sales both rose 19% from a year earlier, to 274,551 and 274,545 vehicles, respectively.
--With assistance from Nicholas Takahashi.
(Updates with figures from Honda and Nissan.)
