UK commercial vehicle production fell 43.5% to 2,130 units in August as the 2014 calendar prompted some plants take additional shutdown, compared to last year, for retooling.
Year-to-date output was down 24.6% to 45,928 units but the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) expects an improvement in coming months as European demand is rising slowly.
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Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “We expect the recent decline to level off in the next few months as newly introduced models reach full production and the rising demand across the EU takes hold.”
Data from SMMT:
| CV manufacturing | Aug-13 | Aug-14 | % Change | YTD-13 | YTD-14 | % Change |
| Total | 3,772 | 2,130 | -43.5% | 60,890 | 45,928 | -24.6% |
| Home | 1,416 | 1,229 | -13.2% | 27,783 | 21,952 | -21.0% |
| Export | 2,356 | 901 | -61.8% | 33,107 | 23,976 | -27.6% |
| % export | 62.5% | 42.3% | 54.4% | 52.2% |
