Manufacturing plummets 99.7% in April
Just 197 vehicles were manufactured in the UK last month as car production collapsed by a staggering 99.7%.
This represents the lowest output since the Second World War, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT).
Instead, manufacturers have produced 711,495 pieces of PPE during the pandemic.
Independent analysis has also warned that car production for the year could fall below a million units, about a third lower than expected before the crisis.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “With the UK’s car plants mothballed in April, these figures aren’t surprising but they do highlight the tremendous challenge the industry faces, with revenues effectively slashed to zero last month.
“Manufacturers are starting to emerge from prolonged shutdown into a very uncertain world and ramping up production will be a gradual process, so we need government to work with us to accelerate this fundamentally strong sector’s recovery, stimulate investment and safeguard jobs.
“Support to get all businesses through this short-term turmoil will ensure the UK’s many globally-renowned brands can continue to make the products that remain so desirable to consumers the world over and, in turn, help deliver long-term prosperity for Britain.”
