GM vs. Toyota: By the Numbers
by Diane Geng

Dec. 19, 2005 -- General Motors has been the world's No. 1 automaker since 1931. But GM's dominant position is eroding rapidly. Last year, Toyota surpassed Ford Motor Co. to become No. 2 in the global vehicle market. Some analysts predict Toyota will catch up to GM in two to three years. In November 2005, GM announced that over the next three years it plans to cut 30,000 jobs and reduce capacity by 30 percent from 2002 levels. We compare the global auto industry's two titans, with an emphasis on the U.S. and North American markets.

Vehicle Production Started in U.S.
Source: GM & Toyota

GM:
1908

Toyota:
1986


Brands Sold in North America
Source: GM & Toyota

GM:
Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn

Toyota:
Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Hino


Best-Selling Vehicle in U.S.
Source: GM & Toyota

GM:
Chevrolet Silverado
680,768 sold in 2004

Toyota:
Toyota Camry
426,990 sold in 2004


U.S. Sales in 2004
Source: Harbour Consulting & Toyota

GM:
4,655,459

Toyota:
2,060,049


U.S. Market Share
Source: First nine months of 2005, Harbour Consulting


GM:
26.8%

Toyota:
13%


Vehicle Production in North America 2004
Source: GM & Toyota

GM:
5.2 million

Toyota:
1.44 million


Profitability per Vehicle
Source: 2005 Harbour Report

GM:
Loses $2,331 per vehicle

Toyota:
Makes $1,488 per vehicle


Net Income in the First 9 Months of 2005
Source: Harbour Consulting

GM:
$4.15 billion loss from North America operations off-set by profits in Europe and Asia for an overall loss of $3.8 billion

Toyota:
$7.89 billion (¥921.7 billion, converted at 116.81 yen to $1)


Number of Plants in North America
Source: GM & Toyota

GM:
77, all unionized. Plans to close 12 facilities by 2008 (see press release).

Toyota:
12, three unionized in Long Beach, Calif., Fremont, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico.


Average Plant Capacity Utilization
Source: Harbour Report 2005

GM:
85%

Toyota:
107% using overtime workers


Production Time per Vehicle
Source: 2005 Harbour Report

GM:
34.3 hours, 2.5% improvement since 2003

Toyota:
27.9 hours, 5.5% improvement since 2003


North American Workforce
Source: GM & Toyota, Dec. 2005

GM:
White collar: 36,000
Production: 106,000.
Retirees: 460,000

Toyota:
White collar: 17,000
Production: 21,000
Retirees: 1,600


Average Hourly Salary for Non-Skilled, Assembly Line Worker
Source: Center for Automotive Research

GM:
$31.35/hour
NOTE: Includes idle workers still on payroll and those on protected status.

Toyota:
$27/hour
NOTE: Includes year-end bonus.


Health Care Costs per Vehicle in 2004
Source: 2005 Harbour Report & A.T. Kearny Inc.

GM:
$1,525

Toyota:
$201


Average Labor Cost per U.S. Hourly Worker
Source: GM & Toyota

GM:
$73.73

Toyota:
$48


Worldwide Sales in 2004
Source: Harbour Consulting

GM:
8.9 million

Toyota:
7.7 million


Global Market Share
Source: Automotive News annual ranking of the world's automakers by sales and production, figures for 2004

GM:
13.2%, down from 14.6% in 2002

Toyota:
10.9% up from 10.6% in 2002


Worldwide Vehicle Production Projected for 2005
Source: 2005 Harbour Report

GM:
9 million
Manufacturing operations in 32 countries, vehicles sold in 200 countries

Toyota:
8.4 million
Manufacturing operations in 26 countries and regions, vehicles sold in over 170 countries