Production stoppages caused by the COVID-19 outbreak at suppliers and the semi-conductor shortage saw new car inventories dwindle towards the end of last year. Because of that, Lexus’s December 2021 sales plunged 30.3 percent globally with major markets such as North America (down 36.1 percent), Europe (down 49.6 percent), Oceania (down 46.1 percent), and the Middle East (down 44.2 percent) all hit.

Yet, the premium brand still managed an overall sales growth for the entirety of 2021.

On a regional level, North America was Lexus’s strongest market, moving 331,579 units or 11.7 percent more than 2020.

Asia, excluding Japan, contributed 263,782 units sold—a 0.4 percent growth compared to 2020. Out of that number, approximately 227,000 headed to China where Lexus saw a 1 percent growth. Japan, meanwhile, rose 4.2 percent to 51,118 units sold.

On a model level, sales of Lexus’s electrified vehicles reached a record high of about 260,000 units sold—an 11 percent increase thanks to strong sales of the Lexus ES, Lexus RX, and Lexus UX hybrid models. With the release of the all-new Lexus NX and their first-ever plug-in hybrid (PHEV), Lexus aims to meet the needs of customers for electrified vehicles.

By 2030, Lexus aims to offer a full line-up of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in all its segments by 2030. BEV sales will account for 100 percent of Lexus sales in Europe, North America, and China, and one million units sold globally by then will be its challenge. By 2035, Lexus will only offer BEVs.