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Toyota reclaimed the title as the no. 1 car seller in the world after beating Volkswagen’s record. The Japanese automaker made it back to first place based on the 2020 results, which is the latest survey.
Beating Volkswagen is a feat for Toyota
As per Reuters, Toyota Motor Corp. took over the lead from Germany’s Volkswagen and became the company with the most vehicle sales last year. It was said that this is a feat for the Japanese company because this is the first time in five years that it was able to overtake VW.
Since it took quite a while before Toyota outdid Volkswagen, this is considered a big achievement for the former. Definitely, it just shows that regaining the position in the car industry is not an easy task.
“Our focus is not on what our ranking may be, but on serving our customers,” Toyota’s spokesperson said when asked for comments about the company’s new record.
Toyota was able to become the world’s no. 1 best-selling vehicle after selling a total of 9.5 million units around the world last year. This number was released on Jan. 28 and showed other Japanese automakers Hino Motors and Daihatsu, also making it to the top list.
Volkswagen lost by mere 200,000 units since it only sold 9.3 million units. The company also owns Porsche, Audi, and Skoda car brands.
Why Volkswagen slid in the ranking
Now, the main reason why Volkswagen fell behind Toyota for the first time in five years was the COVID-19 pandemic. The German carmaker hit a slump when the demand for its vehicles significantly dropped during the coronavirus crisis.
As to the question, if Volkswagen will be able to bounce back, it seems that it may take some time because it is currently dealing with new hurdles. CNN reported that analysts stated Volkswagen could lose out on the car production due to scarcity in the supply of components.
In particular, VW is also affected by the chips shortage that is currently causing many car plants to shut down. Then again, it should be noted that Toyota is also affected by this shortage, so the competition will be more difficult this time.
