A strong start to the year continues for UK Commercial Vehicle (CV) production.
- British CV production rises 27.6% in best performing April since 2016.
- Output grows 58.0% for export markets but declines by -1.0% for domestic.
- The proportion of CVs built for export during the month increases to 59.9%.
https://www.smmt.co.uk/2022/05/strong-start-to-the-year-continues-for-uk-cv-production/
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Three quarters of a million EVs now on UK roads, but car ownership falls for second year.
- Vehicles on UK roads increase 0.4% to 40,506,971 in 2021, but car ownership falls -0.2% to 35,023,652 units – the first consecutive annual decrease in car ownership in more than 100 years.
- Electric vehicle use rises by 71% to 748,349 cars, vans, buses and trucks, with growth in all sectors.
- Pandemic-related market disruptions lead Britons to hold on to vehicles for longer, as average car reaches new high of 8.7 years old – more than a year older than a decade ago.
The number of vehicles in the UK grew 0.4% to 40,506,971 in 2021, according to new Motorparc data released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with more plug-in electric cars, vans, trucks and buses put on Britain’s roads amid highly challenging pandemic and economic conditions.
Despite the increase in the parc, major shortages of key components and supply chain disruptions across the globe caused new car registrations to remain broadly static at 1.65 million, with car ownership falling -0.2% to 35,023,652 vehicles – the second year in a row the car parc has fallen and the first time the UK has experienced consecutive falls in more than a century.
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Global pressures hold back April car production.
- UK car production falls -11.3% in April with 60,554 units leaving factory gates.
- Decline driven by multiple factors, including chip shortage, model and structural changes.
- Sector calls for renewed policy focus on industrial and market competitiveness.
UK car production fell -11.3% in April with 60,554 units rolling off factory lines, according to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The ongoing global shortage of semi-conductors, the impact of the war in Ukraine on supply chains, model changes and broader industry structural changes all contributed to a volatile month’s output.
https://www.smmt.co.uk/2022/05/global-pressures-hold-back-april-car-production/
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HGV registrations fall -2.3% in Q1 as supply chain and economic headwinds hamper recovery.
- 9,837 heavy goods vehicles registered in first three months of 2022, down -2.3%.
- Demand for articulated trucks up 7.4% but rigid uptake falls -10.1%.
- Supply chain challenges and parts shortages hold back market at -17.1% below pre-pandemic levels.
UK heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registrations declined by -2.3% to 9,837 registrations in the first quarter of 2022, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The decline saw 9,837 units registered in Q1, down 227 on a volatile first quarter in 2021, with the sector still some distance from a full recovery from the pandemic at -17.1% below Q1 2019.
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Bus and coach registrations grow 45.2% in Q1 2022 but remain well below pre-pandemic levels.
- Demand for new buses and coaches grows 45.2% in Q1 2022, but remains -44.4% below pre-pandemic five year average.
- Single deck bus registrations increase sharply, rising by 131.9%, with minibuses up 36.8% and double-deckers up 8.4%.
- Industry looks to government for crucial infrastructure support and release of Bus Back Better funding to drive fleet renewal.
The UK new bus and coach market grew by 45.2% in the first quarter of 2022, with registrations increasing to 974, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The year-on-year increase compares with the weakest start to a year on record in 2021, when orders collapsed as a result of plummeting passenger numbers given pandemic-related restrictions.
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A qualified Ford vehicle modifier is to launch a new manufacturing facility on the Ford Dagenham estate in June. The factory has the potential to create more than 120 new jobs when fully operational.
MS-RT is a design-led automotive engineering company creating bespoke Ford vehicles. Its range comprises the Ford Transit Connect MS-RT, Ford Transit Custom MS-RT and Ford Ranger MS-RT, with vehicles sold to consumers through Ford Transit Specialist dealers throughout the UK. MS-RT has a licence agreement with M-Sport, which operates a global motorsport business on the circuits of the world’s most acclaimed motorsports series. The business has a full-service customisation offering incorporating research and design through to manufacturing and after sales support.