SMMT today published the latest commercial vehicle (CV) production figures for the UK with 2,669 new buses, taxis, trucks and vans leaving the factory lines in April – a decline of -68.6% on last year. It comes as the later Easter, closure of a van factory at the end of March, and restructuring for new production all constricted output – contributing to a significant drop in CVs shipped abroad, down -75.8% last month. Given the UK has a vibrant CV manufacturing base that supports thousands of jobs at factories and across the supply chain, it is vital that government’s plans for an industrial strategy are published quickly to bolster the industry’s ability to grow and deliver for the country’s wider economy.
Another sector in which the UK has a robust manufacturing industry is trailers, with a number of bases across the four nations producing a range of trailer types, from box trailers to curtain siders. Last week, I was pleased to visit Warsaw to attend the latest meeting of the International Association of the Body and Trailer Building Industry (CLCCR), on which SMMT represents the UK. The association meets twice a year to discuss updates on trailer regulation taking place at the UNECE in Geneva and the EU Commission in Brussels. While such regulation may no longer immediately affect the UK, we continue to monitor them given they do apply to our biggest market for vehicle exports – and could eventually be mirrored in the UK’s regulatory framework.
Decarbonisation is a challenge that’s familiar to across the automotive industry and it is in the trailer sector too but, like elsewhere in the industry, trailer innovation is thriving – more broadly with double deck trailers, floating and teardrop designs, as well as e-axles and composite design materials that will help drive down emissions.
Building the right partnerships that can help businesses deliver such innovation is a key advantage that SMMT membership offers, and next week we will be staging our latest event, Meet the Van Accessories, taking place at Automechanika on Thursday 5 June. It will provide opportunities not just for light commercial vehicle OEMs to meet van converters, but any business that wishes to add a piece of kit to their vans in the aftermarket – such as like racking, locks and security. To find out more about the event, or about the benefits of SMMT membership, contact our Member Services department.
