According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK car production fell 11.3% year-on-year to 60,554 vehicles in April and was down 14.7% from the pre-pandemic April 2019 production level. The decline in UK car production was largely attributable to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage and the impact of the escalating situation in Russia and Ukraine on the supply chain.
More than a quarter of all cars produced in the UK in April were electric (both hybrid and fully electric), according to SMMT. The UK produced 16,010 electric vehicles in the month, an increase of 2.1% year-on-year, of which the production of pure electric vehicles also increased by 38.2% year-on-year.
The UK car industry faces a range of problems that are eroding production and competitiveness. Rising energy costs, additional transaction costs and slowing global markets have exacerbated global chip shortages and supply chain disruptions. While the UK automotive industry is well-founded and the transition to zero and ultra-low emission vehicles continues at an accelerated pace, we need more policies and measures to support manufacturing and encourage support for the UK during this most challenging time. investment.
However, UK exports fell significantly last month due to the closure of Honda's Swindon plant in July 2021, SMMT data showed. UK car production for export fell 20.8% year-on-year last month to 47,786 from 60,331. Among them, the number of British car exports to the United States and Asia fell by 68% and 10.4% year-on-year, respectively, but exports to the European Union increased by 5%.
