British car production fell during the first six months of the year as manufacturers retooled production lines to make electric vehicles (EVs).
New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed production fell 7.6 per cent over the period as factories delivered 416,074 vehicles to the market.
It comes as automakers rapidly shift to greener fleets ahead of looming bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Some £23.7bn was invested in the transition last year, by both public and private sector players.
Battery electric production represented more than a third of all output, unchanged from last year. In the same period, overall car output for the UK market was up 17.7 per cent to 106,157, but this was not enough to offset a 13.9 per cent decline in production for export, with more than seven in 10 cars made destined for customers overseas.
Credit: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
“The UK auto industry is moving at pace to build the next generation of electric vehicles – a transition that can be a growth engine for the entire British economy,” Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said.
“The new government’s commitments to gigafactories, a decarbonised energy supply and a faster planning system will help boost our competitiveness and sustain employment in a sector that delivers well paid, skilled jobs nationwide.
He added: “Amid fierce global competition, however, industry and government must work quickly to deliver those commitments, creating an industrial strategy that enables the growth the economy craves.”
By City AM
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