Toyota Motor Corp. said on Wednesday that its global output from January to November reached 9,23 million vehicles. That’s a new single-year record with still one month left in 2023. The result is also achieved thanks to robust demand in North America and Europe.

The all-time high came as the automaker’s worldwide production for November rose 11,2% from a year earlier to 926 573 cars, a single-month record. The previous high in an entire year was 9,05 million units in 2019.

An easing in the global chip shortage contributed to growth in production outside of Japan, with the figure for November increasing 7,9% to 611 656 vehicles, a record for the month. Domestic production in Japan rose 18,3 % to 314 917 cars.

More than 10 million

The automaker is also ramping up production in December, setting it on a course to produce over 10 million Toyota- and Lexus-branded cars in a year for the first time. Global sales for November grew 13,6% to 905 066 units, a record for the month, driven by solid results in North America, Europe, and China.

Sales outside of Japan increased 11,5% to 765 317 units, also a record high for the month, helped by the popularity of hybrid cars amid a slowing in demand for electric vehicles. Domestic sales soared 27,1% higher to 139 749 cars.

Electric is growing

In November, the automaker sold 343 981 electrified cars globally, which is 38% of the total sales volume globally. Electrified vehicles include hybrid, full electric, and fuel-cell vehicles. The figure represents a 53,4% increase compared to last year.

In Japan, 80 422 electrified cars were sold in November, a 50,2% increase. In North America, it was 79 752 vehicles, a solid 76,7% increase. In Europe, it was 71 973, a 17,0% increase, while in China, 63 387 electrified vehicles were sold, an 80% increase.

Toyota being number one in the sales of hybrid vehicles (HEV), it’s logical that the gross sales come from this category, 322 463 units. At the same time, the number one car manufacturer in the world is still running behind when other electrified types are concerned, except for fuel cell vehicles.

BEVs were only 9 406 units sold in November, with a remarkably low 188 units in homeland Japan. PHEVs accounted for 9 480 sales, 1 713 in Japan, MHEVs (mild hybrid) sold 2 511 times worldwide (not available in Japan), and FCEVs saw 121 buyers in November globally.

Lexus does well too

The official press release said that Toyota benefitted from a pick-up in global economic activity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The sales of its luxury brand are doing well, too. In the first eleven months of the year, Lexus sold 741 112 cars, 28,7% more than last year.

Sales inside Japan for Lexus (introduced there not so long ago) increased by 134,7% to 89 623 units, while Europe 62 173 cars, +51,7%) and the Middle East (42 540, +62,9%) are doing well too. Asian sales (outside Japan) are well-established, with 211 507 cars (+8,1%), but the biggest Lexus market stays in North America, with 315 292 units, an increase of 19,2%.