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Toyota will likely lose its spot as the world’s top-selling automaker due to setbacks related to the March 11 quake and tsunami in Japan. Since the disaster, Toyota is still struggling to recover and has announced massive losses to production stemming from parts shortages and damaged plants.
In the wake of Toyota’s announcements, many analysts predict that General Motors will soon regain its status as the world’s top-selling automaker, a spot they lost to Toyota in 2008. According to Koji Endo, managing director of Advance Research Japan, Toyota is on track to sell 6.5 million cars this year compared to GM’s projection of more than 8-million units. In addition, Toyota may fall behind an ambitious competitor from Europe.
For the month of April alone, Toyota is expected to lose more than 500,000 units worldwide, according to an Automotive News report. And while some plants are starting to produce again, the automaker recently announced that its total output will remain at 50 percent of maximum capacity through June. Toyota expects production to return to normal by November.
“Volkswagen will produce (sell) around 7 million, so most likely Toyota will be third, GM will be first,” Endo said.
Not surprisingly, almost every high-volume automaker in the world is looking to gain ground, including Toyota’s Korean competitors Hyundai and Kia which, combined, rank 5th in the world for total sales.
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