– Britain’s annual automotive manufacturing fell to the bottom in additional than six a long time, crippled by a world semiconductor scarcity and COVID curbs in China, whereas the variety of electrical autos made within the UK rose, in line with the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT).
SMMT, an automotive commerce affiliation within the UK, mentioned 775,014 automobiles have been made in Britain in 2022. That's 9.8% lower than 2021 and 40.5% under the 2019 pre-pandemic ranges. It's the lowest annual output stage since 1956.
UK factories, nevertheless, produced a document 234,066 battery electrical autos (BEV), plug-in hybrid and hybrid electrical autos, with mixed volumes rising 4.5% year-on-year to account for nearly a 3rd of the general automotive output.
“These (whole) figures replicate simply how powerful 2022 was for UK automotive manufacturing, although we nonetheless made extra electrical autos than ever earlier than,” SMMT Chief Govt Mike Hawes mentioned.
The worldwide auto business has been grappling with a COVID pandemic-induced scarcity of key parts for the final two years, notably semiconductor chips, inflicting the producers to report prolonged order books for brand new automobiles. Provide chain disruptions in China on account of lockdowns, too, weighed.
Whole annual output for the home UK market rose 9.4%, whereas exports dropped 14%.
In December, the general automotive manufacturing fell 17.9% over the yr earlier, snapping two straight months of progress in output.