Engineering news
Car production slipped slightly in January, but the automotive industry expects vehicle manufacturing to accelerate this year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
There were 127,385 cars made in the UK in January 2015 - a decrease of 1.2% compared with January 2014, figures from the SMMT revealed.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "Vehicle manufacturers have invested heavily in the UK in recent years to bring new models and technology to our factories.
"The slight dip in output in January is as a result of this investment as major UK car manufacturers begin production of new models. As production ramps up throughout the year, we expect to see the sector's output increase."
The SMMT also announced today that exports of cars to China have increased seven-fold since 2009.
In 2014 a total of 137,410 UK-built cars were exported to China - an increase of 14.5% on 2013. Only the UK bought more British-built cars than China last year.
The SMMT said the trend in China reflected substantial growth in the wider Asian market, with the number of UK-built cars exported to Asia having more than trebled in five years.
In 2014 the UK exported 220,682 cars to the region, compared to 60,804 in 2009. Asia is now the UK automotive industry's largest export market after Europe, with 18.5% of all cars destined for the region.
In 2014 the automotive sector represented a greater share of total UK exports than ever before, accounting for 11.2% of revenue, valued at £26.2 billion. The UK exported 1,195,190 cars to more than 100 countries worldwide last year, marking a 54.7% increase over 2009, when 772,210 cars were exported.
Meanwhile, UK manufacturing produced 5,553 commercial vehicles in January, thanks to a strong and steady home market, while exports remained subdued.
Output saw an 18% fall over January 2014 figures, but with a number of new models introduced recently and further announcements expected this year, increasing production of new CV models is expected to yield growth later in 2015.
“The commercial vehicle sector saw manufacturing output decrease year-on-year in January, although there is still confidence in the sector,” said Hawes. “The home market for commercial vehicles has been strong in recent months and we expect a continued resurgence to help drive growth. Production is expected to ramp up on recently introduced models which will increase output.”