xcel
09-20-2006, 06:35 PM
Toyota’s share of the American market is growing, mainly at the expense of the U.S. makers. (Automaker says it will boost global sales to 9.8 million vehicles in 2008)
AP - Sept. 20, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Toyota_President_plans_to_overtake_GM.jpg
Lexus GS450h just one of many automobiles to help Toyota become number one.
TOKYO - Toyota announced an ambitious plan Wednesday to boost global sales to 9.8 million vehicles in 2008 - driving home a message of stellar success as its troubled U.S. rivals are closing plants and scaling back production.
Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. already surpassed Ford Motor Co. as the world’s No. 2 automaker in annual global vehicle sales in 2003.
And the latest plan shows Toyota is readying to overtake General Motors Corp. as No. 1. GM sold 9.2 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, the second-largest volume in the company’s history.
Soaring oil prices have proved a godsend for Toyota as drivers turn to fuel-efficient cars. Toyota models have a solid reputation for that with the Prius hybrid, Corolla compact and the midsize Camry, the best-selling model in the U.S. for eight of the last nine years.
In contrast, GM and Ford have long relied on sales of larger vehicles, including trucks and sport utility models, to drive profits, and have been devastated by the recent consumer shift to small cars.
Toyota said it sold 8.13 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, and is set to sell about 8.85 million vehicles this year, including sales from subsidiaries, truckmaker Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor Co., which makes small cars.
Toyota’s share of the American market is growing, mainly at the expense of the U.S. makers, climbing to 16.1 percent in August, up from 13.8 percent a year ago.
“American automakers are in trouble because their products aren’t selling,” said Shotaro Noguchi, auto analyst with Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. in Tokyo.
He said Toyota’s main challenge would be to keep profitability up as it lifts vehicle sales. “It’s a positive and aggressive plan,” he said.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe declined to give a vehicle production target for 2008 but said the number may be slightly higher than the sales figure.
“We are aiming for steady growth through strengthening all our operations,” Watanabe told reporters at a Tokyo hotel, adding the manufacturer hopes to strengthen quality control, expand overseas production and cut costs.
According to figures released by Detroit-based GM earlier this month, the American automaker produced 9.05 million autos worldwide in 2005.
GM does not release forecasts for its global vehicle sales but is aware of the serious rivals it faces, spokesman John M. McDonald said Wednesday.
“We respect our competition around the world, and were realistic about our challenges and opportunities,” he said. “We know we have to earn the right to maintain our global sales leadership, and were doing that day after day.”
When comparing earnings, the contrast between GM and Toyota is even more striking.
Toyota’s profit jumped 39 percent in its fiscal first quarter ended June 30 to 371.5 billion yen ($3.1 billion).
In contrast, GM lost $3.4 billion in the April-June period, mostly because of an anticipated charge for employee buyouts and other restructuring costs. Without one-time charges, the company would have earned $1.2 billion for the quarter.
GM has been stumbling amid intense competition from Asian rivals, including Toyota, and lost $10.6 billion last year. Since November, it has been tackling major restructuring that called for closing 12 plants by 2008, slashing its work force, reducing capacity and cutting costs.
GM is in talks with Nissan Motor Co. of Japan and Renault SA of France about the possibility of joining their global alliance.
In contrast, GM lost $3.4 billion in the April-June period, mostly because of an anticipated charge for employee buyouts and other restructuring costs. Without one-time charges, the company would have earned $1.2 billion for the quarter.
GM has been stumbling amid intense competition from Asian rivals, including Toyota, and lost $10.6 billion last year. Since November, it has been tackling major restructuring that called for closing 12 plants by 2008, slashing its work force, reducing capacity and cutting costs.
GM is in talks with Nissan Motor Co. of Japan and Renault SA of France about the possibility of joining their global alliance.
AP - Sept. 20, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Toyota_President_plans_to_overtake_GM.jpg
Lexus GS450h just one of many automobiles to help Toyota become number one.
TOKYO - Toyota announced an ambitious plan Wednesday to boost global sales to 9.8 million vehicles in 2008 - driving home a message of stellar success as its troubled U.S. rivals are closing plants and scaling back production.
Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. already surpassed Ford Motor Co. as the world’s No. 2 automaker in annual global vehicle sales in 2003.
And the latest plan shows Toyota is readying to overtake General Motors Corp. as No. 1. GM sold 9.2 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, the second-largest volume in the company’s history.
Soaring oil prices have proved a godsend for Toyota as drivers turn to fuel-efficient cars. Toyota models have a solid reputation for that with the Prius hybrid, Corolla compact and the midsize Camry, the best-selling model in the U.S. for eight of the last nine years.
In contrast, GM and Ford have long relied on sales of larger vehicles, including trucks and sport utility models, to drive profits, and have been devastated by the recent consumer shift to small cars.
Toyota said it sold 8.13 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, and is set to sell about 8.85 million vehicles this year, including sales from subsidiaries, truckmaker Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor Co., which makes small cars.
Toyota’s share of the American market is growing, mainly at the expense of the U.S. makers, climbing to 16.1 percent in August, up from 13.8 percent a year ago.
“American automakers are in trouble because their products aren’t selling,” said Shotaro Noguchi, auto analyst with Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. in Tokyo.
He said Toyota’s main challenge would be to keep profitability up as it lifts vehicle sales. “It’s a positive and aggressive plan,” he said.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe declined to give a vehicle production target for 2008 but said the number may be slightly higher than the sales figure.
“We are aiming for steady growth through strengthening all our operations,” Watanabe told reporters at a Tokyo hotel, adding the manufacturer hopes to strengthen quality control, expand overseas production and cut costs.
According to figures released by Detroit-based GM earlier this month, the American automaker produced 9.05 million autos worldwide in 2005.
GM does not release forecasts for its global vehicle sales but is aware of the serious rivals it faces, spokesman John M. McDonald said Wednesday.
“We respect our competition around the world, and were realistic about our challenges and opportunities,” he said. “We know we have to earn the right to maintain our global sales leadership, and were doing that day after day.”
When comparing earnings, the contrast between GM and Toyota is even more striking.
Toyota’s profit jumped 39 percent in its fiscal first quarter ended June 30 to 371.5 billion yen ($3.1 billion).
In contrast, GM lost $3.4 billion in the April-June period, mostly because of an anticipated charge for employee buyouts and other restructuring costs. Without one-time charges, the company would have earned $1.2 billion for the quarter.
GM has been stumbling amid intense competition from Asian rivals, including Toyota, and lost $10.6 billion last year. Since November, it has been tackling major restructuring that called for closing 12 plants by 2008, slashing its work force, reducing capacity and cutting costs.
GM is in talks with Nissan Motor Co. of Japan and Renault SA of France about the possibility of joining their global alliance.
In contrast, GM lost $3.4 billion in the April-June period, mostly because of an anticipated charge for employee buyouts and other restructuring costs. Without one-time charges, the company would have earned $1.2 billion for the quarter.
GM has been stumbling amid intense competition from Asian rivals, including Toyota, and lost $10.6 billion last year. Since November, it has been tackling major restructuring that called for closing 12 plants by 2008, slashing its work force, reducing capacity and cutting costs.
GM is in talks with Nissan Motor Co. of Japan and Renault SA of France about the possibility of joining their global alliance.