UK commercial vehicle (CV) production dipped in September, down 5.2% year on year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
September 2022 was “particularly strong” and the best since 2011, according to the SMMT, which said 11,352 vans, buses, trucks, coaches and taxis were built in September 2023.
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Despite this, and in a sign of the continued improvement of CV production, September 2023 output was still 54.2% up on 2019’s pre-covid 7,363 units.
With a 10.3% increase in orders from UK buyers, 5,124 units were produced for domestic delivery. Exports fell 15.1% to 6,228 units but still accounted for 54.9% of September output. Continuing the long term trend, 95.7% of all exports were for the EU.
Year to date (YTD) CV production rose 11.4% to 85,540 units, 61.1% above the same period in 2019 and representing the best first nine months since 2011.
Exports drove growth, up 16.9% to 53,017 units and accounting for 62% of output.
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By GlobalDataOutput for the UK was also up, by 3.4%, to 32,523 units.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “Despite a fall in September, UK CV production is showing strong recovery following the pandemic and subsequent supply shortages that bedevilled factories for months. Robust demand from both the UK and overseas markets, in particular the EU, has driven production with the output being increasingly electrified.”
