- UK car manufacturing rises 1.3% in May, with 137,225 units produced.
- Output for UK grows 12.8% following -12.8% decline in May 2017 as domestic market resets.
- Year-to-date production remains down, by -2.9%, but more than 700,000 cars built in first five months.
UK car production rose in May, with volumes growing 1.3% year-on-year, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 137,225 cars were built in British factories, following a marked decline in the same month last year when several plants adjusted production schedules to prepare for a raft of new and updated models.
Manufacturing for domestic buyers grew by 12.8%, reversing a decline of equal proportion in the same month in 2017, when the market was also still feeling the effects of VED reform. Meanwhile, production for export dipped by -1.5%, with 107,307 cars destined for overseas markets and making up 78.2% of UK automotive production. In the year-to-date, output stands at 705,603 units, down -2.9% year-on-year.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said,
Following the significant decline in output in May last year as several manufacturers geared up to deliver new models, growth this month was to be expected. For this to continue, we need to ensure UK car plants are able to attract future investment, and this will depend upon maintaining the competitive conditions that have helped drive the industry’s success in recent years.
Given our dependency on the EU as our biggest customer and supplier, that means retaining the benefits of the single market and membership of the customs union – the minimum requirement for frictionless trade.
.
