New car production in Britain fell 41.5 percent in September 2021 with just over 67,000 cars rolling out of UK factories.
The new car production total has been depressed due to the global semiconductor shortage, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers saying it continues to “plague” the industry.
The cost to suppliers is estimated at more than £2.4 billion – and counting.
However, on the eve of COP26, there is a green-tinged positive, with almost 1 in 3 new British-built cars in September being electrified.
The overall combination of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars is a new UK record.
So far in 2021, almost 159,000 electrified alternatively-fuelled cars have left UK factories.
“The substantial decline in UK car output in September continues the worrying trend we have seen over the past three months,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
“The industry is continuing to battle the effects of the pandemic with the shortage of semiconductors stalling production.”
Last month was the worst performing September since 1982, and saw the full effect of Honda’s closure of its giant Swindon plant reflected in the figures.
Almost 79 percent of British-built cars were exported to overseas markets in September, although the total of 53k cars was nearly 40 percent down on 2020.
Cars for UK buyers were even badly affected, with barely 14,000 made for British motorists – a decline of 47.4 percent.
1 in 10 automotive firms have already made redundancies due to the lack of semiconductors – and more than half say the situation won’t improve until later in summer next year.
ALSO READ
Plug-in hybrids PULLED from London C-Charge cleaner vehicle discount
