After conquering the United States, Toyota also recorded record sales in China

Toyota President Akio Toyoda. Photo: Kiyoshi Ota / Bloomberg

The Japanese automobile concern Toyota Motor Corp. set a new record in car sales in China in 2021, the Nikkei Asia Review reported, citing the company. Toyota’s success in the world’s largest car market further underscores the group’s global superiority and coping with the chip shortage amid deep-seated problems with competitors. Sales of new Toyota cars in China rose 8.2% to 1.94 million units. Sales increased for the ninth consecutive year. The main engine was hybrid vehicles, where purchases jumped 50% to 475,900 units. Hybrids account for nearly 25% of Toyota’s total sales, up from 17% in 2020 . This is the first time Toyota has published specific sales data for hybrids sold in China. The company has updated its range of models, including petrol vehicles. Successful maneuvering during the chip crisis has helped Toyota lead the US market, with the company surpassing longtime leader General Motors in 2021 with 2.33 million cars sold and 2.21 million for the runner-up. Other Japanese carmakers have not done so well in China. Honda Motor sales fell 4% to 1.56 million vehicles, the first annual decline for the group in three years. Although sales of Honda hybrids increased by 16% to 233,801, total sales were largely affected by the shortage of semiconductors. Nissan Motor sales in China fell 5.2% to 1.38 million, declining for the third year in a row.