Chevy Volt climbs up, Nissan Leaf falls down in February 2012 sales

– Altima and Rogue lead gains with record sales –

NISSAN WORDMARK LOGO Nissan Wordmark. (PRNewsFoto/Nissan North America) NASHVILLE, TN UNITED STATES

FRANKLIN, Tenn., March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today reported record February U.S. sales of 106,731 units versus 92,370 units a year earlier, marking an increase of 15.5 percent over last February’s record total. Nissan Division sales increased 17.1 percent over last year, also establishing a new February record. Sales of Infiniti vehicles increased 1.0 percent over the prior year.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS

Nissan Division posted a record February with 97,492 sales, an increase of 17.1 percent over the old record of 83,226 units set in 2011.

Altima sales remained strong, setting a new February record with 32,953 deliveries, up 58.4 percent over the prior year. In April, Nissan will unveil the all-new, fifth generation Altima at the New York International Auto Show. A preview image and video of the 2013 Altima, which goes on sale this Summer, was released today at http://nissannews.com/pressrelease/3285/1/all-new-2013-nissan-altima-coming-soon.

Nissan Rogue also set a new February record with 13,423 units, up 17.5 percent.

Sales of Nissan’s trucks continued to grow, with Frontier, Titan, Xterra and Pathfinder posting year-on-year sales increases.

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

Infiniti delivered 9,239 vehicles in February, an increase of 1.0 percent versus 9,144 a year earlier.

Sales of the Infiniti QX luxury utility hit a new February high at 1,162, up 28.8 percent over last year.

Infiniti G Sedan sales were up 7.2 percent to 4,334 deliveries in February.

“Nissan’s momentum throughout the lineup continues to drive our growth and record February sales,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division. “Another strong month for Nissan Altima demonstrates that consumers are increasingly turning to Nissan for quality and reliability in the midsize car segment.”

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. February 2012 had 25 selling days, while February 2011 had 24.

About Nissan Americas

In the Americas, 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 was recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 and 2011. More information on Nissan in North America, the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.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 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. 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/.

* All numbers include Hawaii

GM February Sales Beat Expectations
Small and Compact Car Sales up 43 percent

2012-03-01

DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) today reported total sales of 209,306 vehicles in February, up 1.1 percent compared with the company’s very strong February 2011 results.

“Chevrolet’s 6 percent sales increase, which was driven by new models, as well as a stronger economy, helped GM exceed last February’s remarkably strong result,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “It’s an affirmation of our progress. We are continuing to execute the same disciplined sales strategy that was the key to our success in 2011.”

Industrywide, February light vehicle sales will top 1.1 million units, thanks to stronger employment and credit availability, an improving housing market and the recovery in consumer sentiment, he added.

“Commercial sales are a good barometer for the economy,” Johnson said. “GM’s commercial deliveries increased 35 percent in February, driven by strong sales of heavy-duty pickups.”

Year-over-year sales of the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD were up 28 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Other sales highlights for February include double-digit sales increases for the Buick LaCrosse, which features the 36-mpg eAssist powertrain as standard equipment, the Chevrolet Equinox and Camaro, and the GMC Terrain.

Chevrolet passenger car sales were up 13 percent. The all-new Chevrolet Sonic had its best month ever, with sales of 7,900 units. Chevrolet Cruze exceeded 20,000 units for the sixth time, marking its sixth-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. GM’s small and compact car portfolio, which now includes the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze and Volt, and the new Buick Verano, were up a combined 43 percent versus February 2011.

GM’s year-over-year incentive spending, expressed as a percentage of average transaction prices, was down 3.5 percentage points to 9.5 percent in February, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates. Incentive spending was down about one-half point from January.

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, Isuzu, 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.