Toyota Motor, the world’s largest carmaker, reported its global production dropped for the 10th consecutive month in November. The company manufactured 869,230 vehicles, marking a 6.2% decline from the same month last year, a sharper fall compared to October’s 0.8% dip.
Despite production challenges, global sales increased by 1.7% to 920,569 vehicles, setting a record for November. Solid demand in the United States and China played a key role in boosting sales.
Toyota’s U.S. production fell by 11.8% as recovery remained sluggish. The company resumed manufacturing the Grand Highlander and Lexus TX SUVs in late October following a four-month halt. In China, production declined by 1.6%, a smaller decrease than October’s 9%. Strong local sales of the Granvia, Sienna, and electric bZ3 sedan, developed with Chinese partner BYD, contributed to the improvement.
Amid rising competition from Chinese brands like BYD, Toyota plans to establish a new plant in Shanghai. Production of electric vehicles for its Lexus brand is expected to begin there by 2027.
In Japan, which contributes roughly a third of Toyota’s global output, production dropped 9.3%. This was partly due to a two-day halt at the Fujimatsu and Yoshiwara plants.
From January to November, Toyota’s global production fell by 5.2% to approximately 8.75 million vehicles, while sales dropped 1.2%. The figures include Lexus vehicles but exclude Hino and Daihatsu models.
Despite challenges, Toyota’s rising sales highlight robust demand, particularly in key international markets.
