CEO Update

In a week of political and economic turbulence, new analysis from SMMT highlighted the staggering energy costs facing automotive vehicle and component manufacturers in the UK. The industry’s collective energy bill has risen by more than £100 million over the…

The new government’s first full week of activity brought with it long-awaited news on the extent of business energy cost relief and, today, the Chancellor’s Growth Plan, which opens the door to an automotive recovery with encouragement for investment and…

This week’s return of Automechanika Frankfurt, fully in person again after four years, was a welcome chance to meet some familiar faces in the aftermarket sector and provided the opportunity for SMMT to lead its largest overseas trade mission since…

September brings with it the new 72 number plate and, this year, a new Prime Minister and government for the UK. Yet the big issues facing the automotive sector remain the same. Energy costs are escalating to startling levels; supply…

This week’s figures from SMMT show UK car manufacturing increased for the third month in a row in July, up 8.6% – although that is compared with last year’s pandemic-hit production that saw the worst July since 1956. The ongoing…

SMMT’s latest figures show Britain’s new bus and coach market grew slightly by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2022 – rounding off 17.9% growth during the first half of the year, at more than 2,000 units. This is positive…

As day follows night, falling used car sales were inevitable after a prolonged squeeze on new vehicle supply. SMMT’s new figures this week show Britain’s used car market shrank by -18.8% during the second quarter. More than 1.75 million transactions…

While weather-wise it has been a scorching month for Britain, the new car market has been feeling the drought in registrations for far longer. The latest figures published this week show that new car registrations fell by -9.0% in July…

The automotive sector is yet to break free from the supply disruptions and semiconductor shortages caused by the pandemic back in 2020 but there are signs that the situation may be beginning to ease. Results out this week show that…

For a technology revolution to befall an industry is not unusual. To experience two simultaneously is highly unusual. Yet that is the situation facing the automotive industry and this week has seen some developments on both. The most obvious and…