Japanese carmaker Nissan’s production dropped by 41pc to 261,975 units in March and by 14pc to 4.58mn units in FY2020 (April 2019 – March 2020) from the respective prior-year periods.
In March, Nissan’s output took a major hit at its Spain and China plants, where production fell by over 74pc and 59pc, respectively. In FY 2020, Nissan’s production in Spain witnessed the highest drop of 38pc followed by the UK where the fall was 21pc. Production declined in all countries in March as well as throughout the fiscal year, according to Nissan’s latest press release.
Global sales in March fell by 42pc to 315,194 units from the prior year month and in FY2020, sales fell by 13.2pc to 4.79mn units from FY2019. Sales across Nissan’s global markets witnessed a decline. The highest decline of 67pc in March was reported in Canada and European sales fell by 50pc in the same month. In FY2020, the European market registered a 19.1pc drop in sales, the largest fall among Nisan’s world markets.
Demand for vehicles has taken a hit across the globe. COVID-19 has hurt production of cars as most of the facilities were shuttered in compliance with social distancing measures. Nissan plans to cut its May production in Japan by 78pc from its prior target amid COVID-19 and declining sales, according to media reports.