Nothing gets bandied around more often in the auto industry than numbers. Numbers to do with sales figures, with performance specs, with the year so-and-so is going all-electric. Sometimes we forget to put the numbers bandied our way in perspective.
News this week out of Japan threw out a number that merits perspective-placing. That would be Toyota’s announcement that it intends to assemble 800,000 vehicles in January worldwide.
800,000!
It's just a number, sure. But let's take a moment to look at what it means. The best-selling vehicle in Canada is the Ford F-150. Roughly speaking, Ford delivers 120,000 units to Canadian customers every year. In January, and just in January, Toyota will produce the equivalent of six to seven years worth of F-150 sales in Canada.
Need we mention that if it manages it, the Japanese automaker will set a record for the month? The reason for the push is simple: Toyota is increasing production to make up for delays caused by the microchip shortage. The world's leading manufacturer in terms of volume has been affected by a shortage of parts supplied by factories in Malaysia and Vietnam, a shortage caused by over-strong demand and by issues related to Covid-19.
Said the automaker via a statement, “We will continue to maintain our production forecast of the 9 million unit level” for the year ending March 31.
The January production target represents an increase of 60,000 units from the previous year.
Toyota also said this week that shortages are forcing it to halt some production in Japan in December, resulting in a loss of 14,000 vehicles for the month.
In all, in its fiscal year ending March 31, Toyota plans to assemble nine million vehicles over a 12-month period.