UK car production crashed -30.1% in November to a 44-year low. It was the ninth consecutive month of decline with a 64,216 cars rolling off factory lines, 27,711 fewer than in November last year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).
It said the fall was due to product decisions, weakness in key global markets and a strong comparative November 2023 performance.
With UK car makers retooling factories to make electric vehicles, all major manufacturers experienced declines, representing the worst performance for the month since 1980.
Output for both domestic and export markets fell sharply, down -56.7% and -21.3% respectively, with more than eight-in-10 cars shipped overseas and more than half of these (52.3%) heading into the EU.
A total of 19,165 battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric cars were made in the month, representing almost a third (29.8%) of output, despite volumes declining by -45.5%. From January to November, UK car makers have produced more than a quarter of a million electrified vehicles, down -19.7% on the same period in 2023 due primarily to model switchovers taking place at major plants.
In the year to date, UK car output has fallen by -12.9% to 734,562 units – 108,787 fewer than the same period in 2023 and almost half a million short of 2019 volumes. 2 Given the restructuring that is taking place across the global automotive industry which has seen plant closures, including the UK over this period, and the changes underway as companies transition from ICE to EV production, a decline was expected.
Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO, said, “These figures offer little Christmas cheer for the sector. While a decline was to be expected given the extensive changes underway at many plants, manufacturing is under pressure at home and abroad, with billions of pounds committed to new technologies, new models and new production tooling.
“Government can help by supporting consumers in the transition, fast tracking its Industrial Strategy for advanced manufacturing and, most urgently, reviewing the market regulation which is putting enormous strain on the sector.”
