TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp plans record high global production of 9.2 million vehicles this year, up about 2% from 2019’s pre-coronavirus output, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday.
The automaker has informed its main suppliers of the plan, which reflects sales momentum in China and demand recovery in North America and Japan, the Nikkei said, without citing sources.
Toyota is expecting solid sales around the globe this year thanks to the release of coronavirus vaccines, the newspaper added.
A spokesman for the company was not immediately available for comment.
Toyota overtook Volkswagen in vehicle sales last year, regaining pole position as the world’s top selling automaker for the first time in five years as the pandemic demand slump hit its German rival harder.
Toyota said today its group-wide global sales fell 11.3% to 9.528 million vehicles in 2020. That compared with a 15.2 percent drop at Volkswagen to 9.305 million vehicles.
