CEO Update

The first SMMT Global Trade Conference is fast approaching on 12 October. This online event will explore how a robust rebound of global automotive trade will be key to getting the UK sector, and indeed wider economy, on the road…

Businesses in the UK currently face the highest electricity costs in the EU. So the recent increase in the price of energy, and indeed the market volatility, represents yet another barrier to investment for the automotive sector. The global shortage…

The impact of the pandemic on a critical industry such as UK Automotive – one which depends on global supply lines, strong consumer demand and a highly skilled workforce – was always going to be severe. These effects are comprehensively…

Much has been written about the global shortage of semi-conductors, a situation that looks set to continue well into next year. Given the impact it is having on both UK and global car production as well as the supply chain,…

This week the Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show took place at the NEC in Birmingham. It was the largest automotive trade show in the UK since the pandemic began in March 2020, and thanks go to all the attendees, exhibitors and…

The latest manufacturing figures this week highlight the ongoing headwinds the UK automotive industry is facing. While the impact of the ‘pingdemic’ will begin to lessen due to the rules surrounding self-isolation changing, the worldwide shortage of semiconductors continues to…

This week saw the latest quarterly heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and bus and coach registration figures released by SMMT. While there was an unsurprising increase in registrations for these vehicles over the past quarter when compared with the same period…

Global supply shortages – most notably semiconductors – as well as the self-isolation of workers is continuing to affect new car production, and therefore the new car market. However, this disruption, coupled with the increased need for personal mobility as…

July was a difficult month for the automotive sector as it continues to battle against the global shortage of semiconductors and staff absences given so many have been forced into self-isolating as a result of being pinged. These challenges are…

It has been a challenging first half of the year for UK automotive production as the sector continues to suffer from the effects of the global pandemic. Despite 498,923 units rolling off production lines since January – up 30.8% on…