UK Car Production FELL 10.7% in February – CV Production by 74%

Vehicle production in the UK fell again in February 2026, with car production down by 10.7% and CV Production down a whopping 74%.

The world’s a difficult place at the moment, with ridiculous energy prices, stubborn interest rates, war and a real cost of living crisis.

So it’s perhaps no surprise that vehicle production in the UK fell yet again in February, with just 68,061 vehicles coming off production lines, of which 65,885 were cars – down 10.7% – and just 2,176 Commercial Vehicles, a drop of a massive 74%, with the SMMT blaming model changeovers and Plant restructuring. 

Exports of cars fell by 11.5% and CVs by 65.1%, but still accounted for 80% of production, with the EU taking 63.8% of car exports and 88.9% of CVs, and car exports to the EU actually rose by 5.3%, offset by a decline in exports to US, China, and Japan by 34.3%, 66.4% and 6.8% respectively.

Production for the UK market also fell, by 7.5%, and CV production by 81.2% to just 870 units, and production of electrified cars – HEV, PHEV and BEV – also fell, by 2.8%, although its share improved to 40.4% of output.

Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO, said:

Another decline for UK vehicle production and exports is extremely worrying, given these figures pre-date the crisis in the Middle East. While the sector has made efforts to build resilience into its logistics and supply chains post Covid, the conflict adds further strain. Now more than ever we must focus on our industrial competitiveness by driving down energy costs, backing our suppliers, supporting our domestic market and securing free and fair trade with Europe.