SMMT News

The UK’s new car market grew by 8.4% in March, making it the biggest month since records began. The record performance came as buyers seized the chance to buy cars before the new vehicle excise duty (VED) rates came into force. From 1 April, under the new system all new cars, except for those with zero emissions, are subject to an annual flat rate charge.

Find out who has joined the premier automotive trade association and what they get from membership. New members – March 2017.

Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) will transform the lives of six out of every 10 people in the UK, according to new research published by SMMT.

Connected and autonomous vehicles will transform the lives of more than seven out of 10 young people, according to SMMT.

SMMT has renewed its call for the automotive industry to be at the heart of Brexit negotiations.

Upward trend for UK engine manufacturing continues in February, with 3.0% growth in a second record month for 2017.1 237,803 engines produced, driven by overseas demand, up by 5.5%. Stability in output for the home market, with -0.1% contraction in…

UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing declined in February, 7,940 CVs were built in Britain last month.

Double-digit growth in demand for British-built cars last month helped deliver the biggest February for UK car production in 17 years.
UK production lines turned out one car every 16 seconds in the month, with total output of 153,041 up 8.0%, as exports grew 13.4% to 118,898 units.

The performance helped to drive overall year-to-date production past 300,000 for the first time since 2002, with output rising 7.8% to 301,004 units.

UK car exports to India have grown almost 11-fold in the past seven years, in 2016, Indian motorists bought 3,372 British-built cars.

SMMT is calling on bus operators to take faster action on updating their fleets.