Car Sales May 2021: Toyota Sells Just 707 Units Amidst Challenges Caused By COVID-19 Lockdown

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has released the monthly sales numbers for May 2021, during which the company's total sales stood at 707 units. The carmaker witnessed a massive decline in production and sales due to the challenges caused by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the near-total lockdown in several states including the company's home state, Karnataka. In fact, Toyota had already announced an annual maintenance shutdown at its plant in Bidadi, to coincide with the lockdown, from April 16 to May 14, 2021. However, the company had to further face several non-production days at its plant in Bidadi, leading to no production and minimal sales.

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To give you a perspective, in April 2021, Toyota's total sales stood at 9622 units, leading to a Month-on-Month (MoM) decline of nearly 93 per cent. At the same time, compared to 1639 units sold in May 2020, the company witnessed a Year-on-Year (YoY) decline of 57 per cent. However, we must tell you that last year in May, India was coming out of a nationwide lockdown, and production and retail activities had already started.

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Compared to 1639 sold in May 2020, Toyota India witnessed a Year-on-Year (YoY) decline of 57 per cent

Talking about the company performance and market conditions in May 2021, Naveen Soni, Sr. Vice President, TKM said, "Last month witnessed no production at our plants in Bidadi as well as minimal sales owing to the much-needed restrictions and sporadic lockdowns in different parts of the country. Hence comparing last month's performance to that of May 2020 would be highly skewed, as May 2020 had witnessed a gradual restart of both operations and sales. More so for TKM, as even before the restrictions were announced in Karnataka, we were well within our planned annual maintenance shutdown, thereby adding onto the number of non-production days."

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All that said, things were slightly more positive for the carmaker between January and May 2021. The cumulative wholesales of Toyota India in the first five months of 2021, stood at 50,531 units, when compared to 24,820 units sold in the corresponding period last year, the carmaker registered a growth of 104 per cent.