GM has been the number one seller in the U.S. for decades, but Toyota just took home the crown from its rival in 2021. Okay, so it’s true that G.M. sales were holding steady even as automotive companies like Toyota and Tesla emerged for a short period of time before returning to their previous standing, but it’s worth noting how much has changed since this point five years ago. It almost seems like an entirely different industry now.
In 2021, G.M. and Toyota were neck-and-neck with 15.8 million (G.M.) versus 15.7 million sold that year, respectively. In 2015, there was a difference of more than 1 million vehicles sold between the two powerhouses at 15.5 million (G.M.) and 16.5 million (Toyota). The most shocking change over the five years was the sudden drop in Ford sales from 12.5 million to 7.1 million vehicles sold in 2017 (a 40 percent drop).
Yet somehow, Ford managed to hang on to third place in the automotive industry after taking a hit from Tesla, which has since bowed out of the running for U.S. sales. The situation is even more curious when you consider that GM, Ford, and Toyota have all fared equally as well in their own regions around the world, leaving one to wonder just which U.S. buyers are behind this recent trend in the automotive market.
The American market has always been a little bit different from the rest of the world when it comes to vehicle preferences, and so maybe we shouldn’t be all that surprised that there’s a new winner on top of the sales board here on U.S. soil. With our hybrid and electric vehicle options continuing to multiply, G.M. sales may not be holding steady just yet. Still, they are certainly holding up better than competitors when you consider their falling numbers.
Not only that, but Ford is no longer the top-selling American automaker in the world. Toyota has been neck and neck with Ford for some time now, and taking the crown away from the Detroit automakers won’t be too surprising. While it’s true that sales have dipped over the last few years, Toyota has fared much better compared to other automakers than you might expect. The Japanese automaker sold an impressive 13.5 million vehicles in 2015.
Even though Toyota sales have dipped, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost for their overall sales ranking. They are still within striking distance of the top spot when you consider that G.M. has also lost a good chunk of their sales numbers since 2015 as well. It’s true that Toyota is no longer king of the hill when it comes to global automotive sales, but they still hold a top position in the U.S., and there’s no better place to reign over than that one.
If you are looking at one of the many vehicles that Toyota has to offer, you may be wondering what is available right now. If so, take a look at the 2022 Toyota Camry, which was just refreshed this past year with new features and trims available. The refreshed 2022 model looks better than ever before and offers even better features than before as well.
Also, just because the vehicle is built in America doesn’t mean it’s only for American drivers anymore. Toyota has been working hard to compile a lineup that appeals to everyone all over the globe. The company continues to offer cars and trucks that are either fully loaded or equipped with a feature set that will appeal to customers in all 50 states.
There’s no denying that the American market had shifted since the days when G.M. held on to the top spot, but as history has shown, Toyota isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If anything, Toyota is increasing its odds of being crowned as America’s No. 1 car company all within one of the best automotive lines possible. And you can’t get any closer than that when it comes to vehicle choices for anyone looking for the perfect American-made car or truck option for their lifestyle needs. Depending on where you live, more choices may be available for you than you’re used to.
Toyota sales either held steady or dipped slightly in 2017, but they won’t be disappearing anytime soon. Their vehicles are still some of the most desired on the road today. They have also done an excellent job at introducing new models every few years to keep their lineup fresh and appealing to everyone. And even though they haven’t had the best sales numbers lately, they will remain a top contender in the auto industry when you consider how much they have accomplished over the decades.
The Toyota lineup has remained a top choice for many years now, and it’s never been easier to see why. While the company may have dipped in sales a bit lately, Toyota is still king of the market. And they will remain king of the U.S. market as well if sales don’t get any better anytime soon. With such an impressive lineup and an industry-leading product line, this American automaker will continue to be at the top of every list for as long as they are around. So much so that you could say that production never stops.
Toyota, the Japanese car manufacturer, topped General Motors by having 14% more car sales in 2021. Toyota sold more than 3.3 million vehicles in the U.S. on an annualized basis, of which 2.6 million were vehicles that are specifically made for the U.S. market due to their size and powertrain specifications.
They also expect to manufacture about 4-4.5 million cars for North America in 2023 alone, with a total output of around 10-11 million cars per year within three years of its latest investment plan being implemented fully into effect. With this highly successful production strategy, Toyota has been able to meet rising demand.
This is not the first time that Toyota has beaten G.M. in the sales race, as they were able to do so in 2016 with a 16% market share difference, but this is definitely their biggest win ever. Such a huge margin of market profit over a top automaker like General Motors was completely unexpected. However, it is still possible that G.M. will recover and overtake Toyota at some point soon.
Toyota’s sales are quite impressive throughout the world as well; however, they are notably struggling to sell cars in Europe due to increased competition from other European car manufacturers.
General Motors has announced that it will invest $1 billion in the United States over the next several years, which is a part of their new capital investment plan and product offensive. This investment will create 4,000 new jobs by 2023 within their manufacturing facilities across several states. They also intend to manufacture batteries for both the Chevrolet Bolt and Cadillac CT6 locally by 2023 as well.
This investment comes after General Motors was named the “Greenest Automaker in the World” by a global information provider called VIC (Value Initiative Company). G.M. won this title by having a much greener fleet of cars than other car manufacturers, earning them a 26% gap against Toyota.
They have also surpassed all expectations regarding that they would not be able to sell 100% electric and hybrid cars by 2050. General Motors sold an impressive 5% of their fleet as either electric or hybrid, which pales compared to Toyota’s 1%. This is largely due to the fact that Toyota and other Japanese automakers prefer hydrogen fuel cell technology over battery-powered vehicles.
Despite this reduction in hydrogen-powered vehicles, Toyota still has a lot of confidence in the technology. They manufacture over 100 hybrid models in the U.S. each year, including the Prius Eco and Camry HYBRID V6. With such a large amount of hybrid models from Toyota, it is likely that they will continue to utilize that strategy for now.
So far, more than 5 million vehicles have been sold by General Motors since their return to the United States market in 2009, and with the growth of 50% last year alone, it is expected to increase by 50% again this year. This has been achieved mostly by offering attractive deals for buyers on new cars and SUVs alike. This strategy allows them to save more than $1,000 on the average transaction value per vehicle.
General Motors has also stated that they plan on offering the Volt plug-in hybrid model made in Michigan, which is sold as a Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicle. This model is positioned as the next in line for production after its introduction at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show and has been supported by some of its biggest financial backers, such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.
General Motors also intends to significantly increase the production of electric cars in 2023 due to their great success in the past few years; they intend to achieve their goal of producing 50% more electric vehicles by 2023.
CEO Barra also announced that they plan on selling 15 new self-driving cars per week by 2022. This is far higher than the four self-driving cars they have sold since January of 2019. These cars will be available in California and Michigan, both of which are already starting to test self-driving vehicles of their own. These vehicles will be offered with ride-sharing applications such as Uber, Lyft, and Waymo’s self-driving vehicle service app, “Waymo One.” General Motors’ current share price is around $43 per share, up from $63 in early 2021.
