Truck sales by Ford and General Motors plummeted in May as the top-selling Ford F-series truck gave way for the first time to cars from Toyota and Honda.
GM said Tuesday its sales fell 28 percent in May compared to a year earlier, with a 37 percent drop in SUV and truck sales and a 14 percent drop in car sales. GM announced it was closing four truck and SUV plants after dismal result.
At the automaker's annual meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, Tuesday, CEO Rick Wagoner said GM will close four truck and SUV plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico by 2010, affecting 10,000 jobs.
"We at GM don't think this is a spike or a temporary shift," Wagoner said of the drop in truck sales.
Ford's sales fell 16 percent for the month, while Chrysler LLC's sales were down 25 percent and Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales slipped 4 percent. Overall sales were down 11 percent compared to last May, according to Autodata Corp.
Honda Motor Co., riding the wave of customers seeking better fuel efficiency, said its sales rose 18 percent; a 36 percent increase in car sales made up for an 8 percent decline in truck and SUV sales.
Nissan Motor Co. said its sales rose 8 percent, with a 19 percent increase in car sales offsetting a 10 percent decline in trucks.
High gas prices, the weak economy and low consumer confidence are taking their toll on larger vehicles. Ford Motor Co. sales chief Jim Farley said small and mid-size cars made up 47 percent of sales in May, up from 34 percent in February.
Source: Xinhua/Agencies
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article