UK vehicle production rose in March, but Q1 figures decline: SMMT

UK car and commercialized conveyance accumulation accrued by 17.1% successful March to 79,018 units, arsenic reported by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The emergence was driven by export demand, with car manufacturing increasing for the archetypal clip successful 12 months.

However, the archetypal 4th inactive saw an wide diminution successful production.

Car manufacturing was boosted by a 30.6% summation successful export demand, with 73.3% of output shipped overseas. Despite this, accumulation for the UK marketplace fell by 6.1%.

Electrified conveyance accumulation saw a emergence of 38.5%, accounting for 45% of full UK car output.

The commercialized assemblage said the projected revisions to the ZEV Mandate person been positively received by manufacturers, highlighting authorities designation of manufacture challenges, peculiarly the deficiency of robust user request for EVs.

Extensions to grants for plug-in vans and trucks are deemed important for marketplace maturation successful enactment with mandate ambitions.

The EU was the largest destination for UK car exports, accounting for 57.2% of shipments.

The US remained the second-largest marketplace astatine 15.0%, followed by China (8.5%), Turkey (2.7%), and Japan (2.6%).

Exports to these markets reported notable increases successful China (86.0%) and Turkey (272.1%).

Commercial conveyance accumulation roseate by 8.2% to 8,700 units, driven by a 77.9% summation successful home demand.

However, exports fell by 31.8%, with the EU accounting for 94.2% of CV exports.

Overall, Q1 2025 saw a 3.2% diminution successful car production, with CV output down 27.1% and exports down by 50.3%.

Manufacturers look uncertainty heading into Q2 owed to imaginable weakening US request and caller tariffs, stated SMMT.

SMMT main enforcement Mike Hawes said: “A March uplift to manufacturing is overdue bully news, though the show was boosted by a comparatively weaker period past year, erstwhile vacation timings and merchandise changeovers combined to trim output. With the past 4th showing request for British-built cars rising overseas, navigating the caller epoch of commercialized uncertainty is present the large challenge.

“Government has rightly recognised automotive manufacturing’s captious relation successful Britain’s export system and indispensable present amusement urgency and creativity to present a woody that supports our competitiveness, spurs home request for the latest cleanest vehicles, and helps mill lines flourish.”

"UK conveyance accumulation roseate successful March, but Q1 figures decline: SMMT" was primitively created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand.

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