Manufacturing Biz #2 - Magazine - Page 16
Best November for commercial
vehicle production since 2007
U
K commercial vehicle (CV)
production grew again in November,
according to the figures published
by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and
Traders (SMMT). Factories produced 13,253
vans, buses, trucks, coaches and taxis,
up 16.8% on the year before, in the best
November performance since 2007 and
representing the ninth month of growth in
2023.1
The November total is 51.1% up on
2019’s pre-pandemic level with output
responding to demand from export
markets, up 18.3% to 9,451 units with
71.3% of output shipped abroad.2
The EU again retained its status as the
most important overseas market for UK
CV exports, taking 96.3% of all vehicles
leaving Britain. Orders for UK buyers,
meanwhile, also rose, by 13.4% to 3,802
units. As a result, British CV production
year-to-date is up 15.5% to 111,863 units,
the best for the January-November period
since 2010, in part due to new production
facilities coming on stream and the ability
of manufacturers to put supply chain
challenges behind them. Strong demand
from overseas markets means exports are
16
up 21.0% to 71,679 units while production
for domestic buyers has risen by a more
modest 6.8% to 40,184 units pushing
overall production more than 10,000 units
up on full year 2022 with December’s
figures still to come. Mike Hawes, SMMT
Chief Executive, said:
“UK CV production is
on track to record its
best year in more than
a decade, testament to
the competitiveness
of automotive
manufacturing in this
country. "
- Mike Hawes, SMMT
Chief Executive
Fresh investment to make the latest, zero
emission vans here has helped boost
volumes of vehicles that are increasingly
M A N U FA C T U R I N G B I Z M A G A Z I N E | A P R I L 2 0 2 4
in demand from fleet operators across
Europe. The industry can look forward
with renewed optimism, especially with
a deal to extend the current EU-UK trade
rules for EVs and batteries now agreed.”
1: 22,028 CVs made in the UK November
2007
2: 8,768 CVs made in the UK November
2019
3: 114,337 CVs made in the UK Jan-Nov
2010
4: Full year 2022 – 101,600 CVs made in the
UK