Car production in the UK fell by 15.3% year on year in October – the eighth consecutive month of decline.
A total of 77,484 vehicles rolled off British production lines – 14,037 fewer than in October 2023.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the decline was mainly down to plants shutting down lines as they prepared for EV production (Nissan’s Sunderland factory, for example).
The SMMT also claimed the decline was in part due to the general downturn in EV interest leading manufacturers to slow production.
Plans announced on Tuesday to potentially redraw the UK government’s zero-emmissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate could be a big positive, given the “deeply concerning times for the automotive industry”, said SMMT CEO Mike Hawes.
October’s production total was up on that of September 2023, when just 70,039 cars rolled out of UK factories.
The figures come a day after Vauxhall owner Stellantis confirmed proposals to shut its Luton commercial vehicle plant, putting 1100 jobs at risk.
Overall, volumes for both domestic and export markets declined in October, down 4.7% and 17.6% respectively.
Of those that were shipped abroad, 32,170 were bound for the EU, although volumes fell by 34.6%. Meanwhile, exports to the US, the UK’s second largest market, surged 96.2% to 14,584. This was down to demand for luxury and premium models, such as those made by Bentley and Rolls-Royce. In the year to date, UK car production has now slipped 10.8% to 670,346, due primarily to falling exports, with 89,095 fewer cars being shipped overseas in the first 10 months of the year than in 2023.
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