Toyota's April global sales rise on stronger demand in Japan, China

Toyota's April global sales rise on stronger demand in Japan, China

Business

The Japanese automaker also reported better overseas sales of battery electric vehicles

TOKYO, (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T) global sales rose by nearly 5% in April from a year earlier, boosted by stronger demand for hybrids and gasoline-powered cars in Japan and China.

The Japanese automaker also reported better overseas sales of battery electric vehicles (EVs), bringing the total number of battery-powered units it sold in the first four months of the year above last year's level.

Toyota in April sold 800,863 vehicles globally, including its luxury Lexus brand, a 4.9% increase compared to the same month last year when sales suffered heavily from pandemic-induced parts supply shortages. 

Sales of hybrids like the new Prius in Japan posted a strong 59.2% year-on-year jump to make up just over half of the 125,326 vehicles sold in the company's home market last month, outpacing a 21.5% rise in its overall domestic car sales.

In China, Toyota saw sales jump 46.3% to 162,554 units in April compared to the same month a year earlier, rebounding from the previous year's pandemic-related hit.

In April, the automaker sold 8,584 battery EVs worldwide, including its Lexus brand, accounting for more than 1% of its global sales in a single month for the first time.

That brought the total number of battery-powered vehicles it sold in January-April to 26,057 units, higher than the 24,466 battery EVs the company sold in 2022.