While car shortages are expected to continue for another year, due to parts shortages, North American production has been rising—according to Automotive News. Within the Big Three, in June 2022 compared with June 2021:
- FCA US: 159,677—up by 34,885
- General Motors: 186,979—up by 29,101
- Ford: 153,401—up by 27,665
For the year to date, the numbers are also better than in 2021:
- Stellantis: up by 230,688
- GM: up by 234,331
- Ford: up by 236,919
Other major automakers have also been able to increase production, including Volkswagen, which gained by around 42,000 for the year to date (most VW-NA production is in Mexico); Tesla, which gained by around 66,000 for the year to date; and Hyundai-Kia, which added nearly 71,000 vehicles to its production so far. Mazda added around 38,000 vehicles, some of which may have been due to changes in the product mix (CX-50 production started in the US this year).
Some companies lost ground; past #1 automaker Toyota has lost ground due to its reliance on Chinese parts—falling from 144,963 to 118,169 in June, and dropping 91,963 vehicles from North American production for the year to date. Honda lost even more, with 138,521 vehicles dropped. Still, overall, automakers were able to boost production by around half a million vehicles for the first half of the year.
Supply shortages are one of the main reasons for drops in sales as well as price hikes, so increased production is good news for car buyers—though dealers may soon find themselves with considerable less power, and some, the ones charging $5,000 above list for common Chevrolets and Kias, may find some customers have been driven away.
