Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. all increased global vehicle production in April as Japan's largest carmakers responded to rising demand in Asia and the U.S.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, made 62 percent more cars than a year earlier, producing 591,109 vehicles in April. Exports at the Toyota City, Japan-based company more than doubled, rising 117 percent to 150,118 units, while overseas output went up by 55 percent. Production in Japan increased 71 percent.

Output at Honda, Japan's second-largest automaker, increased 27 percent to 294,308 vehicles from 231,399 a year earlier. Nissan, which ranks third by unit sales among Japan's automakers, said production of its cars and light trucks surged 57 percent to 319,673 units compared with the same month last year.

The three automakers built more vehicles as demand recovered in the U.S. and Japan and continued climbing in China, the world's largest auto market.

» China's automobile output might grow this year by as much as 15 percent, said an official at the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Production could total about 15 million units, Gu Xianghua, deputy general secretary of the association, said at a conference in Shanghai. Vehicle sales surged 46 percent to 13.6 million units last year, overtaking the U.S. as the world's biggest auto market.