Manufacturing figures electrified by EV charge
UK car production was stable in the first month of 2023, with output down just 0.3% to 68,575 units.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) attributed the loss, equivalent to just 215 fewer cars, to structural changes at certain factories and the ongoing supply chain shortages.
However, combined battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicle volumes were up 49.9% to 28,329 units, representing than four in every 10 (41.3%) cars made in January.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Automotive manufacturing can drive long-term growth for the low carbon economy but the sector needs competitive conditions to attract investment. Recent global developments, however, suggest increasing protectionism which, if not challenged or mitigated, could put the UK at a disadvantage. To deliver a wholesale industrial transformation we need a competitive framework and a pitch that promotes advanced vehicle manufacturing internationally. We now look to the forthcoming Budget for the necessary measures that will enable the automotive sector to deliver its undoubted potential.”
Looking ahead, the latest independent outlook anticipates UK car output rising by nine per cent to 842,200 cars this year, driven by growth in electrified vehicle production. By 2025 car and light van production volumes are predicted to surpass one million vehicles.
