TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor said global production climbed 4% from the same period a year earlier to 798,771 vehicles to mark a record for the month of August.
Domestic production for the world’s biggest automaker rose 22% from a year earlier, offsetting a 2% drop in overseas output and highlighting its recovery from last year’s semiconductor and supply chain troubles.
A malfunction that shut down all of its domestic assembly plants for a day late last month had little impact on production.
Toyota posted a 321% production jump in India, where it is benefiting from tie-up with Suzuki Motor, to just over 32,000 vehicles. Reuters reported on Wednesday the automaker plans to build a third car plant in the country.
It reported a 9.8% jump in global sales in August to 853,285 vehicles, also a record for the month.
The production and sales figures include Toyota’s Lexus luxury brand.
In China, sales declined about 7%. In contrast, domestic sales soared some 46% and those in the U.S. rose 15%.
The automaker in August sold 11,880 battery electric vehicles worldwide. That brought the total number of battery EVs sold in the first eight months of 2023 to about 65,000, almost all sold in overseas markets.
(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
