The Nissan logo on a car.
The Nissan logo on a car. Nissan plans to open a fourth factory in China, Nikkei reported Friday. Reuters

May U.S. car sales increased 20.5 percent for Nissan Motor Company Ltd. (Tokyo: 7201) on strong demand for the Altima, as the company continues to push out remaining inventory in advance of the launch of the 2013 model in June, demand remained high for fuel-efficient models and moderating gas prices drew some consumers back to trucks.

Fuel efficient models ... had a great May, but moderating gas prices drove gains across our entire truck lineup, Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager of Nissan USA's Nissan division, Demand for the Altima remains strong through our sell-down efforts.

Nissian brand sales increased 16.4 percent to 81,202 vehicles, while sales of Infiniti-brand luxury cars skyrocketed 65.8 percent to 10,592 units.

Nissan Motor Company Ltd. (Tokyo: 7201) shares fell 3.03 percent to 735 yen Friday.