Toyota's global sales rise thanks to stronger demand in Japan, China

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp's global sales rose by nearly 5% in April from a year earlier, boosted by stronger demand for hybrids and gasoline-powered cars in Japan and China.

The Japanese automaker also reported better overseas sales of battery electric vehicles (EVs), bringing the total number of battery-powered units it sold in the first four months of the year above last year's level.

Toyota in April sold 800,863 vehicles globally, including its luxury Lexus brand, a 4.9% increase compared to the same month last year when sales suffered heavily from pandemic-induced parts supply shortages.

Sales of hybrids like the new Prius in Japan posted a strong 59.2% year-on-year jump to make up just over half of the 125,326 vehicles sold in the company's home market last month, outpacing a 21.5% rise in its overall domestic car sales.

In China, Toyota saw sales jump 46.3% to 162,554 units in April compared to the same month a year earlier, rebounding from the previous year's pandemic-related hit.

The bZ Sport Crossover Concept car from Japanese automaker Toyota displayed during the Auto Shanghai 2023 show in Shanghai, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

In April, the automaker sold 8,584 battery EVs worldwide, including its Lexus brand, accounting for more than 1% of its global sales in a single month for the first time.

That brought the total number of battery-powered vehicles it sold in January-April to 26,057 units, higher than the 24,466 battery EVs the company sold in 2022.

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Jamie Freed)