Photo: Toyota
Last year was not at all kind to car manufacturers, with global demand going down across the board due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Sure enough, some have made it through a lot less scathed than others.
Tesla, for example, is worth a heck of a lot more now than it was at the beginning of last year. In terms of volume, however, there could only be one champion in 2020, and the numbers now point to Toyota regaining its spot as the world’s best-selling car brand.
The Japanese company is back on top for the first time in five years, and according to Reuters, it is because Volkswagen was more affected by the pandemic, registering a 15.2 percent drop in sales to 9.30 million vehicles, whereas Toyota’s global sales fell just 11.3% to 9.52 million vehicles.
One reason why Toyota managed to weather the storm better than V-Dub was because the viral outbreak didn’t hit as hard in its home market of Japan (and the Asian region in general), as opposed to how much it affected markets in Europe and the United States.
When asked for a quote regarding their new position as top dog in the industry, a Toyota spokeswoman had this to say: “Our focus is not on what our ranking may be, but on serving our customers.” Not a bad choice of words, especially when you consider the circumstances that allowed them to grab the no.1 sales spot.
The focus now, not just for Toyota but pretty much all car manufacturers, is to tap into the growing demand for electric cars. Last year, Toyota sold 3% more electrified vehicles than it did in 2019, but it doesn't exactly have a wide range of EVs available to global buyers. The all-electric Lexus UX 300e, for example, isn't sold in America, and the Toyota C-HR and IZOA EVs are China-only affairs. They do, however, have the all-new 2021 Mirai FCEV as an eco-friendly option, which in the U.S. is priced from $49,500.
The Japanese company is back on top for the first time in five years, and according to Reuters, it is because Volkswagen was more affected by the pandemic, registering a 15.2 percent drop in sales to 9.30 million vehicles, whereas Toyota’s global sales fell just 11.3% to 9.52 million vehicles.
One reason why Toyota managed to weather the storm better than V-Dub was because the viral outbreak didn’t hit as hard in its home market of Japan (and the Asian region in general), as opposed to how much it affected markets in Europe and the United States.
When asked for a quote regarding their new position as top dog in the industry, a Toyota spokeswoman had this to say: “Our focus is not on what our ranking may be, but on serving our customers.” Not a bad choice of words, especially when you consider the circumstances that allowed them to grab the no.1 sales spot.
The focus now, not just for Toyota but pretty much all car manufacturers, is to tap into the growing demand for electric cars. Last year, Toyota sold 3% more electrified vehicles than it did in 2019, but it doesn't exactly have a wide range of EVs available to global buyers. The all-electric Lexus UX 300e, for example, isn't sold in America, and the Toyota C-HR and IZOA EVs are China-only affairs. They do, however, have the all-new 2021 Mirai FCEV as an eco-friendly option, which in the U.S. is priced from $49,500.
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