Q2 Output Plans Edge Up

In the latest review of their second-quarter North American production plans, automakers are increasing output schedules by a net 28,800 units, putting the revised tally at 4,648,100 vehicles, 2.1% more than were assembled in the same period a year ago.

While that appears to do little more than offset the first-quarter loss of an estimated 23,300 cars and trucks due to adverse weather and a West Coast dockworkers dispute,  its masks a significant 51,300-unit increase distributed among  seven transplant manufacturers, FCA North America and the dedicated medium- and heavy-duty truck makers.

At odds with the production increases is a 22,500-unit cutback at General Motors that includes 16,500 cars and 6,000 light trucks.

More than half of the GM adjustment, 12,000 units, is slated to occur this month, along with 6,000 units in May and 4,500 in June, and follow a shortfall of an estimated 35,000 vehicles in February and March.

FCA, on the other hand, is boosting April-June car and truck output plans by 4,000 units each, mainly in April and May, and focusing mainly on Canadian car and Mexico light truck assemblies.

In addition, FCA is expected to close the book on first-quarter production 11,600 units over and above what had been slated a month ago.

Elsewhere, Mazda has boosted output at its Mexico car plant by 12,000 units in April-June after besting previously-slated February-March output by 9,800 cars.

Volkswagen also is hiking Q2 output at its Mexican car plant by 13,000 units spread nearly evenly across all there months. Like Mazda, VW’s second-quarter gain follows an estimated overbuild totaling 10,300 cars in February and March.

At the same time, Honda is attempting to recover most of the 10.500 assemblies it “lost” in February-March with a 9,500-unit increase in April-June output.

Production adjustments among the medium- and heavy- truck producers will see output rise by a planned 2,300 trucks in the second quarter, following a 4.9% estimated overbuild in Q1.

North American output for January-June now is planned to reach 8,986,700 vehicles, up 2.1% from like-2014’s 8,805,600 completions, with cars up 3.5% and trucks ahead 1.1%.

[email protected]