Toyota Motor Corporation reported a decline in global production for the 10th consecutive month in November, manufacturing 869,230 vehicles worldwide—a 6.2% drop compared to the same month in the previous year. This decrease was more pronounced than October’s 0.8% dip. Despite production challenges, Toyota’s global sales grew for the second consecutive month, driven by strong demand in key markets like the United States and China.
In the U.S., Toyota’s production fell by 11.8% in November. The company began to recover after a four-month production halt on models like the Grand Highlander and Lexus TX SUVs, with production resuming in late October.
China also experienced a slight production decline of 1.6%, an improvement compared to the 9% drop in October. Toyota attributed the better performance to increased local sales of its Granvia and Sienna minivans and its electric sedan, the bZ3, co-developed with Chinese automaker BYD. To enhance its position against growing competition from Chinese brands like BYD, Toyota plans to establish an independent manufacturing plant in Shanghai, aiming to produce electric Lexus vehicles by 2027, according to the Nikkei newspaper.
In its domestic market of Japan, which accounts for about a third of its global output, Toyota’s production decreased by 9.3%. This was partly due to a two-day halt in operations at its Fujimatsu and Yoshiwara plants.
Despite the production declines, Toyota achieved record sales for November, with a 1.7% increase to 920,569 vehicles globally. However, year-to-date figures from January to November indicate a 5.2% drop in global production to approximately 8.75 million vehicles and a 1.2% decrease in global sales compared to the same period last year.
The production and sales figures include Toyota’s Lexus brand but exclude contributions from its group companies, Hino Motors and Daihatsu.