According to the report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK car manufacturing output fell -37.6% in July, the first fall since February, with just 53,438 units made. It represented the worst July performance since 1956 as manufacturers grappled with the global shortage of semiconductors and staff absence resulting from the ‘pingdemic’, with some altering summer shutdown timings to help manage the situation.

In July production for the UK market declined -38.7% to 8,233 while manufacturing for export also fell, down -37.4% with 45,205 cars shipped overseas. Exports accounted for more than eight out of 10 (84.6%) vehicles built in the month as buyers around the world continued to be attracted to the wide range of high-quality cars made in Britain, including the latest alternatively fuelled models.

More than a quarter (26.0%) of all cars made in July were either battery electric (BEV), plug in hybrid (PHEV) or hybrid electric (HEV), their highest share on record, and meaning that UK car factories have turned out 126,757 of these important products since the start of the year.

Production overall remains up 18.3% on Covid hit 2020 at 552,361 units, but this is down significantly (-28.7%) on 2019 pre-pandemic levels when 774,760 cars rolled off production lines.