Japan’s April vehicle output soars 174%

Nissan Motor Co.'s gas-engine NV200 vehicle is displayed at the automaker's headquarters in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Japan's auto sector on Thursday, May 31, 2012, reported huge increases in production for April from a year earlier. AP PHOTO/ITSUO INOUYE

TOKYO—Japan’s auto sector on Thursday reported huge increases in production for April from a year earlier, reflecting a steep recovery after last year’s quake-tsunami disaster crippled output and demand.

Production of cars, trucks and buses reached 799,474 vehicles, up 173.8 percent from April 2011 and the seventh consecutive monthly increase, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).

The industry data come after heavyweights Toyota, Nissan and Honda said Monday that they saw huge jumps in April output from a year ago when they slashed production and shuttered plants due to power shortages and a parts supply crunch owing to the March 2011 disaster.

Domestic vehicle sales, meanwhile, climbed 93.7 percent to 359,631 vehicles while exports surged 219.2 percent to 402,389 vehicles, JAMA said.

Japan’s auto sector suffered one of its worst months on record in April 2011, while flooding in Thailand later in the year added to the pain as Japanese manufacturers with plants in the country saw supply chains hammered.

Most automakers returned production to pre-quake levels by the end of 2011.

The yen also hit record highs against the dollar last year and remains strong, denting exporters whose products become more expensive overseas.