UK car production falls amid several model changeovers

The UK’s car production volumes fell by 27.1% last month as factories were readied for the introduction of several new models.

Major manufacturers such as Nissan, Mini, JLR and Aston Martin are all in the process of replacing or updating core UK-built cars. Notable upcoming introductions include a revised Nissan Juke, Nissan Qashqai and Aston Martin DBX 707. Simultaneously, JLR continued winding down production at its Castle Bromwich plant, which will stop building cars for good in June.

As a result, a total of 59,467 cars left factories across the UK last month – a fall of 27.1% compared with the 81,605 in March 2023.

Exports, which accounted for almost 80% of all new cars built in the UK last year, were down by 35.9% compared with March 2023, at 39,472 units. Meanwhile, production for the domestic market slipped by just 0.3%, to 19,995 cars.

“This fall is not unexpected given the wholesale changes taking place within UK car factories,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Hawes added: “We can expect further volatility throughout 2024 as manufacturers lay the foundations for a successful zero-emission future.”

Despite the fall in March, total production volumes for the first quarter of the year remained up by 1.1% compared with the same period in 2023, at 222,371 cars.

A 33.9% increase in production for the domestic market mitigated a 7.4% drop in exports, according to the SMMT.

The industry body now forecasts that the country will build 940,000 cars this year, a drop of 6.2% compared with 2023. The SMMT added that it believes UK volumes will trend upwards in 2025, potentially crossing the million-car milestone in 2026.