Honda cuts UK production by 50 per cent

Honda (UK) has announced that an unreliable supply chain of components from Japan after the recent disaster necessitates a cut in UK production of 50%.

Japan is slowly recovering from the earthquake and tsunami that hit on 11th March. Or at least its production is.

Honda has revealed that it expects its Japanese plants to resume production of 11th April – just one month after the disaster – but initially that will be at just 50% capacity due to a shaky parts supply line. A shaky parts supply line that is now impacting in the UK.

Although Honda (UK) sources much of its parts requirements from within Europe, there are certain components that are still sent from Japan. Which means that in the short term it is impossible to carry on at full production (currently around 640 cars a day). So from 11th April UK production is to be halved.

Honda say that they will be able to pick up the lost production once parts supplies return to normal thanks to their flexible working agreements, but it will still mean shortages in the short to medium term in the supply of new cars to dealers.

As we’ve said in other stories relating to the devastation in Japan, this really isn’t all that important in the bigger scheme of things. However, what it does show is the Japanese resilience under such appalling circumstances.

If we’d suffered a fraction of what Japan has there’s a very good chance we would be counting the return to production – even at 50% levels – in years, not weeks.

On a lighter note, the Del Boy in us says this may be a very good time to put your nearly-new Honda up for sale.