VW passes GM in global auto sales race

DETROIT (AP) ― Volkswagen bumped General Motors out of second place in the global auto sales race during the first half of the year, but Toyota is expected to stay in first place.

GM said Wednesday that it sold 4.92 million cars and trucks worldwide from January through June. But VW said it sold 4.97 million. Toyota won’t release first-half numbers until later this month. But it was in first place at the end of the first quarter and it expects to sell 10.1 million vehicles this year.

VW sales are growing faster than GM. The German company reported a first-half increase of 5.9 percent. GM’s global sales rose only 1.4 percent.

VW passed GM despite U.S. sales being down almost 7 percent. But it showed a 7 percent improvement in Europe and almost a 16 percent increase in the Asia-Pacific region including China.