Perodua still on track for 240k sales target, despite 12% drop in May 2021

Perodua has just announced its sales data for the month of May 2021, in which it managed to deliver 17,973 units – a 12% reduction from April’s 20,399 units.

The national carmaker attributed the drop in sales to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the global semiconductor shortage, which has significantly hampered its production capabilities. Despite that, the company is still maintaining its 240,000-unit sales target for the year.

Taking into account Perodua’s May’s sales data, the company has now sold 96,281 vehicles for the first five months of 2021, representing an 82% increase compared to the same period last year. However, the 2020 figure is heavily distorted by the first Movement Control Order, which was in place from March to May last year.

Perodua President and CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad says that a fairer comparison would be against 2019, when the company sold 105,745 units in the first five months – 8.9% higher than this year.

For context, 2019 was the year that Perodua achieved it’s highest-ever annual sales figure at 240,341 units – not too far off its 2021 target. In order to achieve 240,000 units sold this year, the company will have to average 20,531 units sold monthly for the remainder of the year.

“Despite these challenges and barring further uncertainties moving forward, we believe we will be able to meet our 240,000-unit sales target for 2021 as demand remains strong for all of our models,” said Dato’ Zainal. The Perodua Alza replacement, rumoured to be introduced later this year, could also help fill up the company’s orders book in order to achieve its targets.

“We thank the government for extending the sales tax exemption to end-2021, which will bolster our strong demand, encourage economic activity and help sustain the Malaysian automotive ecosystem.

“We understand that the measures taken by the government to contain the pandemic are necessary to ensure the people’s health and safety, and we, along with our suppliers and dealers, will cooperate fully with the government to flatten the curve.”

For the month of May, Perodua also manufactured a total of 18,283 units, boosting its year-to-date production tally to 98,944 units, or 36% of the company’s initial 272,000 units manufacturing target.