September Chevy Volt sales up to 2,851; Nissan Leaf climbs to 984

2012-10-02

DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) today reported its highest September U.S. sales since 2008: 210,245 vehicles, up 1.5 percent compared with a year ago. New products helped drive a 29 percent increase in passenger car sales. Sales of GM’s mini, small and compact cars alone were up a combined 97 percent, and all GM brands increased their retail sales.

“Passenger cars have been the launch point for a broad and deep GM product offensive,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales operations. “Auto sales will continue to be a bright spot for the U.S. economy, which is particularly good news for GM as we walk into an even stronger cadence of new products in 2013 and 2014.”

GM has moved aggressively to replace existing vehicles with better designs, more technology and improved fuel economy. At the same time, GM is entering growth segments and offering new entry points for each brand. Seventy percent of GM nameplates will be all new or redesigned in 2012 and 2013.

September’s car sales increase reflected a strong start for the new Chevrolet Spark and Cadillac XTS, continued strong sales of the Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Sonic, and a second consecutive sales record for the Chevrolet Volt. September also marked the first deliveries of the all-new Cadillac ATS.

The GMC Terrain and Acadia crossovers had strong months as well, with sales up 8 percent and 16 percent, respectively. This helped drive a 3 percent increase for all GM crossovers versus a year ago.

Truck sales were down 20 percent due to a 46 percent year-over-year reduction in fleet sales due to the timing of customer deliveries. In the large pickup segment, GM’s total sales were down 12 percent and fleet sales were down 56 percent. However, GM reduced its large pickup inventories by approximately 8,600 units compared with August, and earned average transaction prices more than $2,300 per unit above a year ago with the lowest incentive spending in the industry, according to J.D. Power PIN data.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this press release and in related comments by our management, our use of the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” “believe,” “commit,” “intend,” “continue,” “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “project,” “projected,” “positioned” or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements that represent our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: our ability to realize production efficiencies and to achieve reductions in costs as a result of our restructuring initiatives and labor modifications; our ability to maintain quality control over our vehicles and avoid material vehicle recalls; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt, including as required to fund our planned significant investment in new technology; the ability of our suppliers to timely deliver parts, components and systems; our ability to realize successful vehicle applications of new technology; and our ability to continue to attract new customers, particularly for our new products. GM’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q provides information about these and other factors, which we may revise or supplement in future reports to the SEC.

Nissan North America Announces September Sales

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today reported September U.S. sales of 91,907 units versus 92,964 units a year earlier, down 1.1 percent. Nissan Division sales decreased 2.4 percent for the month at 82,462 units. Sales of Infiniti vehicles were up 11.4 percent over the prior year, to 9,445 units.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Nissan Division posted sales of 82,462 units, down 2.4 percent from last September’s 84,485 units.
• Sales of the Nissan Rogue crossover rose 12.7 percent to 12,106 units, setting a new volume record for September.
• Pathfinder SUV sales rose 38.7 percent over a year ago, to 3,205 units, contributing to an overall rise in truck sales of 3.3 percent.
• Sales of the all-electric Nissan LEAF totaled 984 units, the highest volume for any month in the past 12 months.

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

• Infiniti today reported sales of 9,445 units for September, an increase of 11.4 percent from 8,479 units a year earlier.
• Infiniti FX sales of 1,659 marked an increase of 127.6 percent, with the luxury performance crossover showing an increase of 5.7 percent to 7,462 units for the year.
• Sales of the new Infiniti JX 7-passenger luxury crossover totaled 2,251 in September, and 14,353 units have been sold since deliveries began in March.
• Infiniti luxury crossovers and sport utility vehicles had an increase of 107 percent in September, and are up 63.6 percent for year.
• In total, Infiniti September sales were the best since 2007, and marked five straight months of double-digit increases.

NOTE: To ensure consistency in global sales reporting, Nissan North America calculates monthly variances on a straight-percentage basis, unadjusted for the number of selling days. September had 25 selling days both in 2012 and 2011.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.6 million vehicles in 2011. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.