3 Major Japanese Automakers' China Sales Plunge in Aug.

Beijing, Sept. 9 (Jiji Press)--Sales of new vehicles by three major Japanese makers in China fell sharply year on year in August amid continued weak demand for their mainstay gasoline-powered models, according to data released by the firms by Wednesday.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales fell 22.8 pct to 118,400 units, marking the seventh consecutive month of decline.

Nissan Motor Co. saw its sales drop 51.9 pct to 28,275 units, down for five months in a row. Sales at Honda Motor Co. decreased 49.9 pct to 26,749 units, extending the downtrend to a 31st month.

Demand for electric vehicles is on the rise in China amid intensifying price competition among domestic EV makers, leading to weaker sales of gasoline vehicles from Japanese automakers.

High gasoline prices reflecting Middle East tensions have boosted demand for EVs and other new-energy vehicles although the Chinese automobile market remains sluggish due to weak domestic consumption.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]