Toyota outsells rival VW by over 21 per cent as world’s largest car maker delivers nearly 10.5 million vehicles in 2022
Toyota has been crowned the world’s largest car seller for the third consecutive year,.
The Japanese car giant delivered just under 10.5 million vehicles in the last 12 months, 21 per cent higher than Volkswagen’s (VW) 8.3 million sales – which were seven per cent down on last year’s levels and the lowest since 2011 – and 34 per cent above Hyundai-Kia’s 6.9 million cars sold.
The Japanese firm sold 9,566,961 Toyota and Lexus models, 766,091 Daihatsu microcars and 149,972 Hino trucks, according to Autocar.
Toyota said sales were almost at the same level as last year, “despite the impact of production constraints caused by the spread of Covid” such as higher energy and raw material costs as well as a shortage of semiconductors.
Global production was up 5.3 per cent due to increased capacity and optimisation at Toyota’s North American and Asian factories.
“We will continue to carefully monitor the parts supply situation and minimise sudden decreases in production as much as possible while making every effort to deliver as many vehicles to our customers at the earliest date,” the car maker said in a statement earlier today.
Toyota made the headlines late last week when its chief executive Akio Toyoda – grandchild of Toyota’s founder Kiichiro Toyoda – was appointed chairman following Takeshi Uchiyamada’s resignation.
At the helm of the company’s board since 2013, Uchiyamada stepped down amid concerns that the company’s transition to net-zero was taking too long.
The car maker launched in early December a new strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040.
Renamed ‘the power of and’, the strategy will continue to produce hybrids while ramping up its electric vehicle (EV) production.