More Q4 Truck Output

In the current round of production schedule reviews, North American automakers have revised October-December plans to include more trucks and fewer cars, but left overall volume for the period virtually the same as it was a month ago.

Despite an August underbuild of 26,600 vehicles and a modest 13,600-unit reduction in the September slate, the industry is still on track toward a record 17.9 million-plus units this year.

Strong consumer demand for light trucks, coupled with modest August shortfalls at Ford and Toyota, have prompted automakers to increase fourth-quarter truck output plans by 7,900 units after completing an estimated September overbuild of 6,400 trucks.

Truck output for the year now totals 10,761,800 vehicles, down slightly from 10,768,000 a month ago, but still 4.2% ahead of the record 10,322,200 trucks built in 2014.

At the same time, October-December car production plans have been trimmed by 8,000 units, following a 22,400-unit August-September shortfall.

For the year, production of 7,143,300 cars now is expected to edge 2014’s 7,083,300 completions by just 0.9%, down from a 1.3% gain previously.

General Motors shows the biggest overall vehicle gain in the new slate, 13,000 units, with an 8,000-unit Q4 bump following a 5,800-unit August-September gain.

GM’s moves include a 36,500-unit August-December spike in light-truck output that corresponds to a 25,700-unit decline in car assemblies.

Toyota, on the other hand, has hiked its October-December plans by 13,000 units, mostly in an effort to recover as much as possible its 17,600-unit August-September shortfall.

Unlike many of its rivals, Toyota’s plans call for a net increase in car output of 8,900 vehicles, while cutting light-truck production by 13,400 units.

For the year, FCA, Ford and GM now are slated to build 9,220,008 cars and trucks, a 0.9% gain on 2014’s 9,139,000 assemblies.

Transplants are scheduled to achieve a year-end tally of 8,261,800 cars and light trucks, 4.8% more than the 7,881,600 vehicles built in 2014.

Dedicated medium- and heavy-duty truck makers are expected to end 2015 with 426,500 “builds,” 8% more than the 394,900 units turned out in 2014.

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