8:08 am, August 31, 2023
Car production in the UK rose by almost a third last month compared to a year ago, marking six months of consecutive growth.
Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that a total of 76,451 cars were built in July – a 31.6 per cent rise.
The trade body said UK carmakers continued to show signs of recovering from the global shortage of chips, but countered this with output remained 29.4 per cent lower than pre-pandemic July 2019.
Output for the UK increased 13.7 per cent to 13,187 last month, while exports increased more than a third to 63,264 units.
More than four in five cars made were shipped overseas, with the top destination markets being the EU, US, China, Japan and Australia, accounting for almost 85 per cent of all UK car exports last month.
Production of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continued to increase, rising 73.9 per cent to 30,180 units and representing almost two in every five cars made in July.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘Six months of growth shows that British car production is recovering and, with electrified models increasingly driving volumes, the future is more positive.
‘Recent investment announcements have undoubtedly bolstered the sector but global competition remains tough.
‘If we are to attract further investment and produce the next generation of zero emission models and technologies, we need a coherent strategy that builds on our strengths and supports all aspects of advanced automotive manufacturing.’
The latest independent production outlook, suggests that total UK car production will reach around 860,000 units this year, an increase of 10.9 per cent on 2022, with the possibility to get production back to the million mark in 2028.
