Car production up 11.7% in first half of year
That's according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
Car production rose 11.7% in the first half of the year as supply shortages eased, new figures show.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 450,168 new cars were manufactured in the UK between January and June, compared with 403,131 during the same period last year.
The increase was driven by exports, which were up 13.6% to 359,940.
Four out of five cars built in the UK are sold overseas.
The SMMT said manufacturers are increasingly able to manage the global shortages of parts such as semiconductors that have constrained production since the coronavirus pandemic.
Increasing numbers of hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles are being built, with combined volumes up 71.6% in the first half of 2023, representing more than a third of all UK car production.
The automotive industry received a boost last week when it emerged that Tata Sons – the Indian owner of Jaguar Land Rover – plans to build a £4 billion battery factory in the UK.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “UK car manufacturing is growing again, with production – especially of electrified models – increasing and major investment announcements making headlines.
“This is testament to the resilience of the sector and its undoubted strengths: a skilled and productive workforce, world-class R&D (research and development), and efficient, productive plants.
“But we must build on this momentum, sustain growth and attract further investments with a strategy that focuses on competitiveness and which strengthens the UK’s unique automotive offering.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub