Toyota Motor said on Friday its vehicle sales rose by 10.1% last year, making it the world’s biggest carmaker for a second straight year and putting it further ahead of its nearest rival, Germany’s Volkswagen.
The Japanese company said sales totalled 10.5 million vehicles in 2021, including those by affiliates Daihatsu Motors and Hino Motors.
That compares with 8.9 million delivered by Volkswagen in the same period, 5% fewer than in 2020 and its lowest sales figures in 10 years.
Carmakers have been forced to cut output because a shortage of semiconductors during the coronavirus pandemic disrupted supply chains, boosting competition for the key component among makers of consumer electronic devices.
However, the Japanese company has weathered the pandemic better than most other carmakers because its home market and parts of Asia, have been less affected than Europe.
Toyota, which releases third-quarter earnings on February 9, has said it is likely to fall short of a production target of 9 million vehicles in the business year that ends on March 31 because of disruptions linked to Covid-19.
On Wednesday, Toyota said shortages affected 20 out of its 28 domestic Japanese plants this month.
“As the parts scheduled to be used during the January suspension can now be used in February, some plants and lines originally scheduled to be suspended in the month will now operate,” the company said.
“We will continue to make our maximum efforts to deliver as many vehicles as possible to our customers at the earliest possible date.”
- Reuters, with additional editing by George Russell
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