Car production rises 3.5% in first half of 2014
THE latest figures from automotive industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMTT) reveal that the volume of cars made in the UK in the first half of this year was up by 3.5% compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the June output rose 3.7% to 136,419 cars compared to the same month last year. This was, driven by a 16.5% growth in production for UK market.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “UK car production continued its steady growth in June, leading to a first half-year increase of 3.5%.
“With several manufacturers having started assembly of new models this year and billions of pounds of investment still to reach production fruition, this is an exciting time for the UK automotive sector.
“However, with this growth comes a need to bolster the domestic supply chain and address major skills shortages; both of which the UK industry is committed to addressing.”
The number of cars produced for the home market rose 1.9% in the first six months of this year while production for export was up 4.0%.
Transport minister John Hayes said: “I welcome these excellent figures, which show that Britain’s car manufacturing continues to thrive. Our automotive industry is going from strength to strength and so helping drive the economic recovery.”
