Car manufacturers in the UK produced 416,074 petrol, diesel and electric vehicles in the first half of 2024, down 7.6% compared to a year earlier.
This drop was expected as manufacturers convert production lines to make electric models, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.
In line with the overall decrease, production of electrified vehicles (battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid) was down 7.6% to 157,224 units. This represents more than a third (37.8%) of all output, unchanged from last year.
Overall car output for the UK market actually increased by 17.7% to 106,157 units, but this was not enough to offset a 13.9% decline in production for export, with more than seven in ten cars made destined for customers overseas.
“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,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
“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.
“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.”
SMMT’s Vision 2035: Ready to Grow report, published in June, sets out a plan for the ongoing EV transition, focused on developing the domestic market for EVs, industrial transformation, reskilling, providing clean energy and ensuring free and fair trade with global markets. The industry body said that it was ready to work with the new UK government “to ensure the long-term success of the sector and all those who depend on it for their mobility, services and livelihoods”.
