UK car production FELL by 10% in August

Car production in the UK fell by 9.7 per cent in August 2023, breaking a run of six months of increased production.

For the last six months, car production in the UK has been recovering well from the impact of Covid, war and supply chain shortages, recording six months in a row of increased manufacturing. But that’s come to an end.

Figures for August 2023 show that UK car production fell by 9.7 per cent, with a big drop in cars built for domestic consumption – 25.2 per cent – and a smaller drop of 5.5 per cent for cars built for export.

Unsurprisingly, the market share and production numbers for electrified cars (which includes HEV and PHEV as well as BEV) continued to grow – for the 14th month on the trot – accounting for 36 per cent of all cars produced. 

The blame for the drop in production in August is laid at the door of summer shutdowns and car makers doing planned maintenance and upgrades in what is traditionally the quietest month of the year.

Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO, said:

After six straight months of growth, a decline in UK car output in what is always the smallest and most variable volume month is not a cause for concern. With car manufacturers taking advantage of the summer holiday season to upgrade their plants, this is part of an ongoing commitment to deliver the next generation of electric vehicles, with a record number of these models already being made.