tigerhonaker
10-28-2006, 08:28 PM
Toyota production rises 3.8 percent
October 25, 2006
The Associated Press
TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s global production rose 3.8 percent in September, putting the company on track to overtake General Motors as the world's biggest automaker. It was the company's 23rd consecutive monthly advance.
Surging oil prices haveprompted drivers to favor fuel-efficient cars, including the Prius hybrid, Corolla compact and the midsize Camry, the best-selling model on the U.S. market for eight of the last nine years.
Toyota's total output last month came to 696,594 vehicles, the company reported Tuesday. Overseas production climbed 2.8 percent to 340,945 units, while domestic output rose 4.7 percent to 355,649 vehicles.
Earlier this month, the first hybrid version of the Toyota Camry made outside Japan rolled off the assembly line of its Kentucky plant, positioning the Japanese automaker to take an even larger share of the gasoline-electric vehicle market in the United States.
Hybrid cars get better mileage than regular gasoline-powered cars because they switch between a standard gasoline engine and an electric motor.
GM in 2005 sold 9.2 million vehicles globally and produced 9.05 million vehicles, compared to Toyota's sales of 8.13 million for that year. The Japanese automaker surpassed Ford Motor Co. in terms of vehicle sales in 2003.
The Japanese automaker has said it will boost global sales to 9.8 million vehicles in 2008 -- even as its troubled U.S. rivals are closing plants. Toyota did not release an output target.
Nissan Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, said its global vehicle production fell for a ninth month in September, dropping to 12.5 percent to 274,788 vehicles.
Tokyo-based Nissan said its output in the U.S. fell 18.9 percent last month from a year ago to 60,600 units, largely due to the changeover of the new 2007 Altima model.
Honda Motor Co.'s global production rose 5.0 percent to 318,946 vehicles, in its 14th monthly rise. Overseas production climbed 6.6 percent to 199,932 units, boosted by an all-time monthly record in both North America and the rest of Asia.
Domestic production at Honda rose 2.3 percent to 119,014 vehicles.
Mazda Motor Corp. reported its worldwide output posted a 1.0 percent gain to 106,332 units. Its overseas production rose 1.2 percent to 21,420 vehicles on increased production of the Mazda6 and Premacy models, including a strong demand in China.
Mazda, which is 33 percent owned by Ford, said its production in Japan rose 1.0 percent to 84,912 units -- the 11th straight month of higher domestic production.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said worldwide output fell 15.4 percent to 106,666 vehicles. Its domestic production slipped 5.4 percent to 62,812 units while overseas output fell 26.5 percent to 43,854 units.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/business/110283,5_3_WA25_TOYOTA_S1.article
October 25, 2006
The Associated Press
TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s global production rose 3.8 percent in September, putting the company on track to overtake General Motors as the world's biggest automaker. It was the company's 23rd consecutive monthly advance.
Surging oil prices haveprompted drivers to favor fuel-efficient cars, including the Prius hybrid, Corolla compact and the midsize Camry, the best-selling model on the U.S. market for eight of the last nine years.
Toyota's total output last month came to 696,594 vehicles, the company reported Tuesday. Overseas production climbed 2.8 percent to 340,945 units, while domestic output rose 4.7 percent to 355,649 vehicles.
Earlier this month, the first hybrid version of the Toyota Camry made outside Japan rolled off the assembly line of its Kentucky plant, positioning the Japanese automaker to take an even larger share of the gasoline-electric vehicle market in the United States.
Hybrid cars get better mileage than regular gasoline-powered cars because they switch between a standard gasoline engine and an electric motor.
GM in 2005 sold 9.2 million vehicles globally and produced 9.05 million vehicles, compared to Toyota's sales of 8.13 million for that year. The Japanese automaker surpassed Ford Motor Co. in terms of vehicle sales in 2003.
The Japanese automaker has said it will boost global sales to 9.8 million vehicles in 2008 -- even as its troubled U.S. rivals are closing plants. Toyota did not release an output target.
Nissan Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, said its global vehicle production fell for a ninth month in September, dropping to 12.5 percent to 274,788 vehicles.
Tokyo-based Nissan said its output in the U.S. fell 18.9 percent last month from a year ago to 60,600 units, largely due to the changeover of the new 2007 Altima model.
Honda Motor Co.'s global production rose 5.0 percent to 318,946 vehicles, in its 14th monthly rise. Overseas production climbed 6.6 percent to 199,932 units, boosted by an all-time monthly record in both North America and the rest of Asia.
Domestic production at Honda rose 2.3 percent to 119,014 vehicles.
Mazda Motor Corp. reported its worldwide output posted a 1.0 percent gain to 106,332 units. Its overseas production rose 1.2 percent to 21,420 vehicles on increased production of the Mazda6 and Premacy models, including a strong demand in China.
Mazda, which is 33 percent owned by Ford, said its production in Japan rose 1.0 percent to 84,912 units -- the 11th straight month of higher domestic production.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said worldwide output fell 15.4 percent to 106,666 vehicles. Its domestic production slipped 5.4 percent to 62,812 units while overseas output fell 26.5 percent to 43,854 units.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/business/110283,5_3_WA25_TOYOTA_S1.article