Chinese car sales top 300,000 in Britain this year as European rivals lose ground Motoring More than 300,000 Chinese cars have been sold in the UK so far this year, setting a fresh record as European rivals lose ground. Chinese carmakers made up five of the top 25-performing brands in the first nine months of the year, data from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed, accounting [...]
Activity in UK’s embattled manufacturing sector hits 15-month high Economics The UK’s embattled manufacturing sector took another small step towards recovery at the end of 2025 thanks to an influx of new orders. The latest UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from S&P Global UK hit a 15-month high as the industry continued to grow for the second consecutive month. The PMI reading hit 50.6, up [...]
Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack hammers UK car production Transport and infrastructure The most expensive cyber attack in British history suffered by Jaguar Land Rover contributed to car production being slashed by almost 30 per cent in September, according to new figures. Jaguar Land Rover was forced to halt production for five weeks from 1 September which has been estimated to have cost the UK around £1.9bn. [...]
UK car output dips as Trump auto tariffs loom March 27, 2025 Production of cars and commercial vehicles saw an alarming 11.6 per cent decline in February, according to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Just 82,178 vehicles were produced – a drop of 10,787 from February 2024 – in the 12th consecutive month of falling auto manufacturing output. There was a [...]
UK new car market stalls as weak consumer confidence bites February 5, 2025 New car registrations fell by 2.5 per cent in January as weak consumer confidence and a tough economic backdrop delivered a fourth consecutive monthly decline. There were 139,345 new vehicle registrations in January, according to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). New registrations for both private and fleet buyers [...]
New car market in UK up 2.6 per cent in 2024, figures reveal January 4, 2025 The UK’s new car market recorded its second successive year of growth with a 2.6 per cent rise in registrations in 2024, new figures show. Industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said around 1,953,000 new cars were registered last year, compared with 1,903,000 in 2023. Growth was delivered entirely by purchases [...]
Ministers warned not to cave to ‘short-sighted’ carmakers on EV targets December 16, 2024 The government is currently considering relaxing new rules enforcing certain electric vehicle sales targets each year.
Car production falls but sector ‘optimistic about return to growth’ September 26, 2024 Car production fell last month, continuing a trend seen across the year, new figures show. The number of cars built in UK factories was 8.4 per cent lower in August compared to the same month last year. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 41,271 new cars left production lines, 3,781 fewer than [...]
‘Heavy discounting’ sparks new electric car sales surge September 5, 2024 New electric vehicle (EV) registrations jumped in August as “heavy discounting” by manufacturers and a raft of new models tempted consumers to make the switch. The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal a 10.8 per cent increase in battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations in the last month. BEVs now [...]
Over one million new cars registered in 2024 in post-pandemic record July 4, 2024 Data from the SMMT revealed the new car market grew 1.1 per cent in June as 179,263 vehicles rolled off factory lines.