Today, October 5, the information publication Automotive News officially published information that General Motors lost the lead in terms of the volume of cars sold in the United States for the three quarters of this year to the Japanese manufacturer Toyota. In the first three quarters, the Japanese brand was able to sell 1.858 million vehicles in the country (an increase of 27.9% compared to the same period in 2020), while GM sold only 1.777 million cars in its home market, showing an increase of 0.1% … It is worth noting that GM has been the leader in car sales in the United States for 90 years, and now it risks giving up the podium to a competitor from Japan.
The main reason for Toyota’s strong sales growth is its inventory of critical components, including microchips. The fact is that at the moment the car market (and not only) suffers from an impressive shortage of semiconductors – companies simply cannot send the required number of cars for sale, since they do not have the necessary electronics for them. Thanks to the stocks of microchips, Toyota has the ability to meet demand, increasing the percentage of sales – due to this, the manufacturer was able to oust GM from the first place, which dominated the US market for almost a century without a chance for opponents.
Back in 2011, after the earthquake in Japan, Toyota plants stopped, and the management decided to create a “gold reserve” of important components for the future. General Motors does not have such a stock – now the company is experiencing an incredible shortage of microchips, and semi-disassembled cars without electronics are actively leaving the concern’s factories. In fact, GM assembles the body, installs the engine and chassis, and then sends the cars to closed parking lots, where they will stand for about six months, waiting for the chips.
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