North American Light-Vehicle Production Up 6.7% in June

North American automakers built 1,464,579 light vehicles in June, a 6.7% gain from same-month 2013.

The total includes 635,206 cars and 829,373 light trucks. Light-truck production climbed 10.1%, the 15th consecutive year-over-year gain for the vehicle type. CUVs and pickups, the highest-volume light-truck segments, recorded gains of 10.0% and 17.5%, respectively. Over the first six months of 2014, light-truck production was 10.7% higher than year-ago.

Car production was up 2.6% for June, but down 4.1% over the first six months of the year. Year-to-date, domestically built car sales in the region were down 3% from 2013.

WardsAuto estimates Detroit Three LV production rose 8.6% from year-ago to 817,860 units, boosted mainly by Chrysler’s 13% growth.

Nissan posted a major gain in output again, jumping 21.0% and reaching 154,226 for its best-ever June result. The success primarily is due to its Smyrna, TN, plant, where production soared 36.3%. Year-to-date, Nissan builds increased 21.2%.

Monthly production in the U.S. was up 8.9% to 980,316 units. A total of 5,800,218 LVs were built through the first six months of 2014, up 4.4% from last year.

Mexican plants upped June LV production 7.7% from 2013, resulting in the highest output for that month, to 283,741 units. Year-to-date, 1,586,243 LVs have been built, a 7.2% increase.

Canadian output continued to slide, falling 4.0% to 200,522 units last month. Output from January to June declined 1.9% to 1,180,645.

Through the first six months of this year, North American plants produced 8,567,106 LVs, up 4.0% from year-ago.

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