Parts supply blamed for drop in UK vehicle production

UK light vehicle production has declined sharply in the last quarter, with SMMT recording a 32.4% drop YoY.

Part of the problem is the recent closure of Honda’s Swindon factory, which accounted for a drop in exports of vehicles to the US by more than two thirds in the period under review.

However, a greater issue is the ongoing parts supply crisis. shortages of microchip and other materials from the Far East have halted production lines while the manufacture of some goods, such as wiring looms, has been affected by the war in Ukraine.

In better news, UK commercial vehicle production rose by 57% in the same period.