Japan’s Vehicle Output Soars

Automakers built 799,500 cars, trucks and buses in Japan in April compared with 292,000 units a year earlier, the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Assn. reports.

The trade group notes that Japan's March 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled factories in the following months. April marked the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year gains in production.

Output last month rose 177% to 692,000 units for passenger cars, 143% to 97,900 units for trucks and 397% to 9,600 units for buses.

Production surged fourfold to 353,000 vehicles at Toyota, sixfold to 87,000 units at Honda and almost doubled to 85,000 units at Nissan.

Japan's auto exports more than tripled to 402,400 units in April. Domestic vehicle sales nearly doubled to 359,600 units.