UK factories turned out 68,306 cars in April, up dramatically on the pandemic hit month in 2020, but still 3.8% below output in the same month of 2019.
Just 197 cars were produced in UK factories in April 2020, when Covid restrictions effectively halted manufacturing.
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So far this year UK factories have turned out 374,864 cars, with April’s performance offsetting earlier declines to drive a 17.3% overall increase, but still 15.0% down on the same four-month period in 2019.
When compared with a five-year average, production was down 42.9% for the month and 31.1% for the period January – April, reflecting the scale of the challenge facing the industry as it seeks to recover from the pandemic.
The April figures also reveal UK automotive manufacturing’s increasing shift towards electrified vehicles. In the month, 22.8% of all UK car manufacturing was for battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars, while in the year-to-date alternatively fuelled model production is up 33.1% on the same period in 2019, demonstrating the UK industry’s commitment to meeting demand for these ultra-low and zero emission vehicles.
Compared with 2020, since January, production for the UK market has declined -3.1% while car exports have risen 22.5% with more than eight in every ten (83.3%) cars made shipped overseas. So far this year the European Union remains by far the most important destination for British cars, taking 52.1% of all exports, followed by the US (17.4%) and China (7.4%).
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By GlobalDataMike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “April’s figures were always going to be exceptional as factories were closed at this time last year amid the first wave of the pandemic. However, the situation for UK car manufacturers remains challenging, particularly with the worldwide shortage of semiconductors affecting output. While it’s good news that the UK is on track with its Covid roadmap back to normality, we still need strong domestic demand and given we’re export-led, confident overseas markets to drive a recovery, both for the automotive sector and for the wider economy.”
