JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.) have released their latest production figures for Japanese automobile production, which provide a picture of the effect of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck the northeast coast of Japan on March 11.
Passenger car production in April was down 60.2% from the same month last year, while truck production was down 57.5% compared to April 2010 and bus production was down 80%. Total Japanese automobile production in April 2011 was 292,001 units, including 249,772 passenger cars, 40,305 trucks, and 1,924 buses.
Domestic sales of automobiles fared slightly better, with passenger car sales down 48.5%, truck sales down 40.4%, and bus sales down 53.7%.
On a monthly basis, Japanese automobile production was down 38% in April 2011 compared to March 2011, when production totaled 404,039 units. Passenger car production was down 28% in April 2011 compared to March 2011, while truck production was down 21% and bus production was down 59%.