Automaker Toyota surpassed General Motors in US sales in 2021, marking the first time since 1931 that the Detroit automaker has not led the country’s car sales for an entire year.
Toyota sold 2.332 million vehicles in the US in 2021, compared with 2.218 million for General Motors, the companies said on Tuesday (4). GM’s US sales were down 13% in 2021 — and 43% in the fourth quarter — while Toyota’s were up 10% for the year.
For the entire 2020, GM’s US sales totaled 2.55 million, compared with Toyota’s 2.11 million and Ford’s 2.04 million.
The year was marked by a shortage of semiconductors, widely used in vehicles, forcing manufacturers to focus on their most profitable models.
GM said on Tuesday that it expects economic growth in the US to boost total US sales of light-duty vehicles, from about 15 million in 2021 to 16 million in 2022.
Manufacturers reported full-year sales results for 2021 on Tuesday. GM was the biggest vehicle seller in the United States since 1931, when it surpassed Ford, according to data from the publication Automotive News.
Toyota is not bragging about its achievement. Senior Vice President Jack Hollis said in a statement that the automaker is “grateful” for its loyal customers, but “being No. 1 is never a focus or priority.”
GM spokesman Jim Cain said the Detroit-based company has had a year of very strong US sales in SUVs and pickup trucks as it has focused on profitability, and when the semiconductor offering improves, sales will also grow.
“I wouldn’t run away if I were [a Toyota] to get a ‘We’re No. 1’ tattoo,” he said.
GM, under Chief Executive Mary Barra, also prioritized profitability over volume, abandoning loss-making markets such as Europe and Russia.
For the industry as a whole, Cox Automotive predicts that US new vehicle sales will fall 32% in December from December 2020 — the slowest pace since May 2020, when the country remained virtually closed during the first wave of the Covid pandemic.
Industry analysts predict an estimated 15 million vehicles will be sold throughout 2021 in the US. Sales in the country will continue to be well below the five-year average of 17.3 million between 2015 and 2019.
IHS Markit forecasts that US sales will reach nearly 15.5 million in 2022, an estimated increase of 2.6% from the projected 2021 level of approximately 15.1 million vehicles.
Car buyers have seen prices jump dramatically. Edmunds website said average transaction prices for new vehicles hit a new record in November at $45,872 (R$260,415 at the current price), compared to $39,984 (R$226,989) in November 2020. Edmunds too. predicts that the prices of used vehicles will exceed US$ 30,000 (BRL 170,000) for the first time in 2022.
IHS Markit predicts that new light vehicle sales worldwide will reach 82.4 million in 2022, up 3.7%, while 2021 sales are expected to rise just 2.9% globally, compared to 2020 .
Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves
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