Engineering news
The UK car manufacturing industry experienced a 11.8% year-on-year fall in production in July, as changes to holiday patterns meant the traditional annual shutdown started earlier at some plants, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Meanwhile, the UK's commercial vehicle manufacturing industry continued its strong recovery in July, with production volumes up 46.3% on July 2014. A total of 9,274 CVs were built in the month, with output for the UK market posting an especially strong gain of 137.6%.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Car production is traditionally subject to a degree of fluctuation during the quieter summer months with some manufacturers pausing production to invest in upgrades and prepare for new model launches, as well as to manage holiday leave. The industry remains in a strong position, with more than 910,000 cars produced so far this year and some significant new model introductions due in the autumn.
“The commercial vehicle manufacturing sector’s impressive performance in July is further welcome evidence of its ongoing return to form. After a difficult year of regulatory upheaval, we’re now seeing demand for British-built vans, trucks and buses bounce back as fleet renewal patterns return to normal and the online delivery market continues to grow.”
Hawes added: “Engine manufacturing was down in July 2015 compared to the same period last year, which is unsurprising as, in line with seasonal scheduling in the car production sector, changes to holiday patterns meant the traditional annual production line shutdown started earlier at some plants.
“The future remains bright for engine production, however, with almost 1.5 million engines built in the year to date, and significant investment which we should see results of in the coming months,” he said.