Toyota plans to build record 800,000 cars in January
Toyota Motor has already set a new year resolution – starting with building 800,000 vehicles globally in the first month of 2022 – a record for the month.
The company wants to increase its output of vehicles by 60,000 compared to January 2021 in a bid to compensate for some of the slowdown in production during the year because of the global supply chain crisis propelled by Covid-19.
Shortages of vehicle parts forced the automaker to pause some of its production plants in Japan – 14,000 fewer cars, including the company’s land cruiser SUV as well as several Lexus models, were produced in a single month as a result.
The halt to production was due to “lower attendance rate at suppliers in South East Asia due to the spread of Covid-19 and tight logistics situation in Japan,” Toyota said in a statement at the time.
It marked the fourth time Toyota was forced to curb operations as several factories were closed in November.
In the UK in August 27 per cent less cars left factories while engine production fell by 24 per cent amid a worldwide semi conductor chip shortage, an essential item used in the manufacturing process.
The impact has been felt by carmakers as new car registrations fell by 34.4 per cent in September this year, the worst performance for the month on record, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
“We will continue to maintain our production forecast of the 9 million unit level” for the year to March 31, Toyota said.