General Motors has barely had enough time to settle into its new position as the world’s second largest automaker by volume, but it looks as though the U.S.’ largest automaker will be slipping yet another spot. Following Toyota ’s ousting of General Motors from the world’s top spot last year – a position GM had held for the previous 76 years – Volkswagen will likely take over as the world’s second largest automaker by year’s end.
According to R.L. Polk Germany, VW is poised to take over as the world’s second largest automaker this year, knocking GM down to the number three position.
Global new car sales are expected to fall by 19 percent this year – totaling just 52.8 million units — with GM expected to bear more of that burden than VW. Because of GM’s exposure to the U.S. market – which is down more than 34 percent on the year, according to Automotive News – analysts expect GM’s production to decrease by 31 percent in 2009. However, VW’s is much less susceptible to fluctuations in the U.S. market, resulting in a predicted 15 percent decline in new vehicle production this year. As a result, VW will pass GM to become the world’s second largest automaker.
VW has vowed to take over the number one spot from Toyota by early next decade, and it looks as though the German automaker might be on track to achieve that goal. Just last year VW displaced Ford as the world’s third largest automaker.
