Toyota’s October output grows for fifth straight month on strong US demand

[TOKYO] Toyota Motor said on Thursday its global production rose for a fifth consecutive month in October, lifted by strong US demand for hybrid vehicles that offset weaker sales in Japan and China.

Global output climbed 4 per cent to 926,987 cars from a year earlier, while worldwide sales advanced 2 per cent to 922,087 vehicles, marking a tenth consecutive monthly gain, according to data released by the Japanese automaker.

In the United States, Toyota’s top market, production surged 26 per cent for the month, marking its fifth straight double-digit increase as hybrid demand stayed robust and output recovered from last year’s production stoppage of two models.

Output in Japan rose 7 per cent, but sales fell 4 per cent. Toyota did not disclose a reason for the decline.

In China, production slipped 6 per cent and sales dropped 7 per cent, hit by the end of subsidy programmes in some regions.

For the first 10 months of the year, Toyota sold 8.7 million vehicles, with hybrids accounting for 42 per cent of the total and battery electric models making up just under 2 per cent.

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The production and sales figures include its luxury Lexus brand. REUTERS