5.050.000 cars sold in just 6 months: while Volkswagen and BYD struggle, Toyota sets a profit record with a strategy once widely criticized

06/11/2026 16:00

Updated to

06/11/2026 16:00

As we approach the final stretch of the year, Toyota Group has just released its results for the first half of its fiscal year 2026, which for Japanese companies runs from April to September. These results can be summarized by impressive figures: 5,050,000 cars sold in just 6 months and €12.6 billion in profits during this period. But there’s more, as its strategy of selling hybrids—such as the new Toyota Corolla—and electric vehicles in China has led to a record increase in these vehicle sales: a 55% rise.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen—the world’s second-largest automaker after Toyota—and BYD, which aims to overtake the Japanese manufacturer by 2031, are struggling. This is despite selling far fewer cars in the first half of the year—January to July for them: nearly 4 million for the German group and, ironically, “only” 1.8 million units for China’s largest automaker.

A strategy driving sales that scares Volkswagen and BYD

Although President Akio Toyoda of Toyota—who aims to carry out the largest corporate acquisition in Japanese history—has often been accused of disliking electric vehicles and criticizing them, the strategy of focusing on hybrid vehicle technology globally while producing electric cars in limited quantities and with caution—by targeting China, the world’s largest market for such vehicles—has proven highly successful for Toyota. This is despite many manufacturers criticizing the Japanese firm’s reluctance toward electric vehicles.

The figures achieved by Toyota, the world’s top automaker, in the first six months of the year far surpass those of Volkswagen, its closest rival for the title of world’s leading automaker, as well as BYD, a self-proclaimed contender who, for now, seems to be far behind.

With a total of 5,050,000 cars sold in just 6 months, the Toyota Group, which includes the Toyota and Lexus brands, has seen sales of its hybrid and electric vehicles account for 55.6% of its total sales. These impressive sales figures also mean that by the end of 2026, Toyota expects to set a new sales record of 9.7 million cars sold, an increase of 1.14% from last year—despite the significant downturn in the Chinese market.

A contraction that explains why both Volkswagen Group and BYD experienced a decline in sales during the first 6 months of the year, with car sales dropping by 8.2% for the German conglomerate and 15.71% for the Chinese group. While the Chinese company has been heavily affected by falling demand in its home market, over 50% of its profits now come from foreign countries.

Toyota Also Records Record Profits and Expands on the Stock Market

But if Toyota is intimidating its rivals in these first 6 months of the year, it’s not just because of the number of cars sold. It’s also due to its net profit, which reached 2.236 trillion yen, or nearly 1.26 billion euros at current exchange rates—representing a whopping 26.1% increase compared to the same period last year.

In addition, sales revenue reached 26.96 trillion yen, approximately 15.16 billion euros, during those 6 months from April to September, representing a 9.5% increase compared to last year’s figures.

As a result, Toyota’s shares surged by 16.6% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, driven not only by the 5,050,000 cars sold and record profits but also by the announcement of what the company plans to do with those revenues. Toyota has indicated it expects to distribute dividends of 100 yen or 0.57 euros per share and, most importantly, to repurchase shares currently held by external investors.