The steep decline was primarily attributed to a plant closure and a normalisation in demand for new heavy goods vehicles following strong post-pandemic growth. Compared to April 2024, the number of CVs built for export fell by 75.8%, while production for the domestic market decreased by 54.6%.
Exports to the European Union, which remains the largest overseas market for UK-built CVs, saw a dramatic drop of 78.9%. Despite this, the EU still accounted for 84.9% of all CV exports in the month.
Overall, the UK’s car and CV production combined fell by 15.8% to 59,203 units, making it the lowest April performance since 1952, excluding the pandemic-affected April 2020.
According to the SMMT, the downturn in production across the automotive sector was influenced by a range of factors, including fewer working days due to the late Easter, model changeovers, and broader economic uncertainty in international markets.
“With automotive manufacturing experiencing its toughest start to the year since 2009, urgent action is needed to boost domestic demand and our international competitiveness,” stated Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive.
Looking ahead, the SMMT highlighted the importance of the UK government’s anticipated industrial strategy, which the industry hopes will include measures to enhance the sector’s competitiveness and take advantage of new trade agreements with the EU, US and India.
In 2024, the UK’s HGV registrations had already begun to stabilise, falling by 2.7% after three consecutive years of growth. The latest production figures indicate that the market correction is now being reflected on the manufacturing side.
Further analysis of the monthly data and its implications for the UK road transport sector is expected once the government’s strategy is released.
