The latest figures on UK car and van manufacturing are out, and while there’s a dip, there are also signs the sector is finding its feet again after a rough patch.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK vehicle production fell by 1.2% in April to 58,513 units. Dig into the detail, though, and car output was broadly stable for a second month running, down just 0.7% to 56,135 units. The bigger drop came from commercial vehicles, where output fell 10.9% to 2,378 units — though even that was the smallest decline in 13 months, as the impact of a major van plant closure starts to fade.
Exports continue to do the heavy lifting, accounting for 76.4% of everything built in the UK that month. The EU remained the top destination, taking more than half of car exports, with shipments there up 6.9%. Exports to the US also rose, while deliveries to China slumped by more than 44%.
Across the first four months of the year, UK factories have turned out 266,601 vehicles — down 10.7% on the same period last year.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said April’s figures suggest production is stabilising, albeit at reduced levels, and warned that high energy costs and trade uncertainty continue to weigh on manufacturers. He flagged particular concern over the EU’s proposed “Made in Europe” policy and tougher rules-of-origin requirements due in January 2027, urging action to protect access to the UK’s largest export market.
Why does this matter to drivers? The health of UK manufacturing feeds directly into the vehicles we’ll be buying, leasing and running in the years ahead — including the next wave of EVs and hybrids coming off production lines. What happens in the factories today shapes the choices on the forecourt tomorrow.
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