UK car production falls

UK car production fell for the second consecutive month, in August, as the global semiconductor shortage continued to affect the automotive sector, Report informs referring to FleetNews.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 37,246 cars were built in UK factories during August, a decline of 27%.

While manufacturing for the UK market increased by 3.3% in the month, the rise was equivalent to just 255 additional units, and exports fell by 32.5%. The decline was driven by falling exports to faraway markets, including Australia, the US, and China. Exports to the EU held up better, down 4.9%, accounting for almost seven in every ten cars exported in August.

Despite the challenges, production of the latest electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid cars surged to a new high, representing more than a quarter (27.6%) of all vehicles made. Since January, UK car factories have turned out 137,031 alternatively fueled cars - 51,679 more than the same period in 2020.

Production in the year-to-date remains up, by 13.8%, to 589,607 cars. The performance, however, must be set in context against a COVID-hit 2020 as it remains significantly lower, by 32% than in 2019.

The total is 42.8% down, equivalent to 440,920 fewer units when compared against the five-year average for the first eight months of the year.