The UK’s embattled car production industry is showing continued signs of recovery after experiencing a strong 7.4 per cent growth in manufacturing for the month of October, while the year-to-date graph still paints a sombre picture of the downturn.
All up, the UK increased its monthly output in October to 69,524 units, marking a 7.4 per cent increase for the month, with domestic and overseas deliveries increasing 12.5 and 6.3 per cent respectively.
The growth was driven by a 26.4 per cent increase in deliveries to the USA, 68.7 per cent increase to South Korea, and a 125 per cent increase to the Australian market.
Zoom out, though, and you’ll still find the UK’s manufacturing numbers down 10.8 per cent year-on-year, and massively short of the 721,509 vehicles the region was posting back in 2019.
In October 2019, for example, the UK pumped out 134,669 vehicles, with the most recent figures falling 48.4 per cent short of that benchmark, while outputs are 52.8 per cent lower than the five-year pre-pandemic average of 147,150 units.
The data comes from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, who says that the ongoing impact of supply chain issues and semiconductor shortages is still wreaking havoc with the UK’s vehicle output. The impact of Brexit remains unaddressed.
The report also shows that deliveries of the UK’s hybrid and battery electric lineups have grown at a decent rate, increasing a total of 20.3 per cent to 24,115 units for the month, translating to a year-on-year increase of 16.2 per cent. The SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes, said:
“Getting the sector back on track in 2023 is a priority, given the jobs, exports and economic contribution the automotive industry sustains. UK car makers are doing all they can to ramp up production of the latest electrified vehicles, and help deliver net-zero, but more favourable conditions for investment are needed and needed urgently.”
Earlier this year we reported that the UK had posted its first monthly increase in eleven months, which it backed up with four consecutive months of increases.
