Toyota Motor Europe has recently reported an increase of 0.6 point percent in its overall market share for the first half of this year at 5.8 percent as compared to the same period last year. For the period covering January to June, Toyota has been able to produce 415,152 cars, 444,736 engines and 294,993 transmissions at its plants in the UK, Turkey, France, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
The strongest performers for Toyota the maker of Lexus brake caliper covering the period from January to June include Auris which has obtained a total of 66,924 units, Yaris with 144,549 units, Avensis with 73,328 units sold, and the Corolla sedan with 45,267 units sold.
Toyota’s hybrid Prius has also achieved a 53 percent increase to 16,421 units that sets a first half record sales of 16,421. The total combined sales of Toyota and Lexus have reached as high as 24,870 units up by 38 percent from the same period last year, incorporating the launch of the hybrid LS 600h in June. The total Lexus sales for the fist half of this year reached 28,929 units with an increased of 7 percent as compared from the same period last year. The increase in the Lexus sale is also boosted by the launched of the LS 460 last January.
Covering the period January to June 2007, Russia was Toyota Motor Europe’s largest national market with 83,743 units sold increased by 81 percent as compared to the same period last year. Toyota UK followed with an overall sale of 78,854 units and a 10 percent increase, next is Italy with 77,136 units sold, a 9 percent increase, then Germany with 68,292 units sold.
There is also a strong growth in Poland with a 30 percent increase from the same period last year same with the Baltic markets with positive 43 percent and Norway with positive 29 percent.
Toyota Motor Europe has set a European sales target of 1.16 million units in Toyota brand sales while 56,000 units were from Lexus sales.
In other news Toyota last Monday has announced its global sales target of 9.34 million vehicles for this year that is despite the worries on plant closures and a sluggish market in Japan.
Toyota Motor Corp. has set the full-year target by up to 6 percent from 2006 sales of 8.8 million vehicles. The target for this year would mark the company’s ninth straight year of global sales growth.
Last July 16 after an earthquake hit the north central Japan, Toyota has decided to shutdown its plants which damaged key-parts maker Riken Corp. Fortunately Toyota was still able to resume production on 20 of its 31 auto assembly lines at one dozen factories in Japan and will restart the remainder Wednesday this week that is according to Toyota’s spokesman Tomomi Imai.
The suspension of Toyota’s plants has resulted to an output loss of about 46,000 vehicles which may climb to 55,000 if the plants will not start operation right away.
