Global sales, including Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors, rose 10.5% to 856,376 units.

Bloomberg

Toyota Motor Corp. said global output rose 1.4 percent in February as the Japanese automaker recovers from a shortage of semiconductors for automobiles and lingering disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The world’s largest automaker produced 896,712 vehicles last month. Global sales, including Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., rose 10.5 percent to 856,376 units, the company said in a statement Thursday.

The numbers underscore Toyota’s global lead in selling combustion-engine vehicles just days before Lexus chief Koji Sato prepares to take over as CEO and navigate the Japanese carmaker toward a future of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources. The big question is whether he can leverage Toyota’s current lead amid a once-in-a-generation shift in the global auto industry.

Domestic sales and production rose year-on-year for the second month in a row, with Japan sales climbing 38 percent to 213,698 units, Toyota said.

In February, Toyota maintained its forecast for output at 10.4 million units for the fiscal year ending this month.

Separately, Nissan Motor Co. said its global output rose 9.2 percent to 300,734 vehicles, while sales climbed 1.2 percent to 265,101 units. 

Honda Motor Co.’s global production dipped 1.2 percent to 340,574 vehicles, declining for the fourth straight month, the company said.