Cars in the United Kingdom

Vehicle production in the United Kingdom rose by 13.3% to 62,284 units in May compared with the same month last year. It was the first increase in car output in 10 months, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders of Great Britain (SMMT) released on Thursday showed.

Production of vehicles for the home market rose by 39.5 per cent and 8.9 per cent for export. At the same time the production of electric and hybrid cars continues to grow. In May, their share made 22,6% of all produced cars.

At the same time, the organisation's experts point out that current production figures are still significantly lower than in 2019, when the UK economy has not yet experienced the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Compared to May 2019, car output is down 46.3%.

SMMT cites difficulties with the supply of components, especially semiconductors, as well as the economic shock caused by the crisis in Ukraine, as the main reasons making it difficult to recover production.

It is worth noting that amid the continuing unfavorable economic situation, the organization calls on the UK government "to take urgent measures to maintain the industry in a competitive state".