SMMT News

The purchasing companies set to attend SMMT’s Meet the Buyer 2014 have been announced.

SMMT’s weekly round-up, including all the latest news from UK automotive and a message from SMMT’s Chief Executive.

1. UK must maintain a strong voice in Europe says automotive industry
2. Car and commercial vehicle registrations post strong March growth
3. HGV road user levy charge comes into force
4. 77 new tech levels, backed by business, announced
5. Week ahead

1. European Parliament adopts deal on the sound level of motor vehicles
2. TRAN committee adopts agreements on eCall deployment and AFI
3. Road Safety: Second good year in a row puts Europe on track towards safety target
4. Industrial Producer prices down by 0.2% in both euro area and the EU28
5. Week ahead

World-renowned sports car manufacturer, Porsche, is showing off its ultra-low emission Panamera S E-Hybrid plug-in luxury GT at the SMMT’s headquarters in Westminster from 31 March to 11 April.

Bus and coach market remains stable, down just 0.2% in March to 1,032 units. Purpose-built sector drops 28.7% in the month and 23.5% for the year-to-date

Total commercial vehicle registrations grew 11.4% in March to 54,232 with the rolling year up 15.6% to 335,840. The combined March and September plate-changes typically account for around a third of the annual van market. Strong 14.6% rise to 50,064 van registrations is in line with expectations.

SMMT has published Electric Vehicle (EV) registration figures for March and the year-to-date.

Demand for the new 14-plate sees March 2014 reach 464,824 new car registrations, a rise of 17.7%. Since the move to a twice-yearly plate change in 1999, only March 2004 saw higher registrations (466,954).

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and KPMG today released a new report, The UK Automotive Industry and the EU, which examines the relationship between the UK and the European Union. The report identifies some of the key aspects of the UK’s membership of the EU and how it affects the UK automotive sector, particularly in terms of investment, growth and job creation.