Toyota gains on General Motors in new U.S. sales forecast: 'GM may be looking over their shoulder'

A Toyota Tundra at the New York International Auto Show in New York City on April 2, 2026. Danielle DeVries | CNBC DETROIT – Toyota Motor is notably gaining on America's largest automaker, General Motors, in U.S. sales as hybrids get more popular and all-electric vehicles sputter. The Japanese automaker is expected to report a nearly 1% increase in U.S. sales through the first half of this year to 1.25 million vehicles, while GM is projected to be down 7.2% to 1.33 million, according to a new forecast released Wednesday by Cox Automotive. "At these rates, and what we're seeing right now in the selling rates, GM may be looking over their shoulder here when we get to the year's end, that Toyota could potentially overtake them as the top selling manufacturer here in the U.S. market," Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist and senior director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, said during a media event. Chesbrough said he isn't yet forecasting that Toyota would top GM, but he said the trends are "concerning for General Motors." The expected 83,255 difference in vehicle sales through the first half of the year would be the narrowest between the two automakers since Toyota topped GM in U.S. sales for the first time ever in 2021. That was in part the result of supply chain issues during the coronavirus pandemic. …