The increase in CV production marks the sector’s best July performance in the last 16 years. Credit: Aleksandr Medvedkov / Shutterstock.

The UK’s commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing sector experienced a significant surge in July, with a 71.7% increase in output, reaching 15,252 units, as per the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

This increase marks the sector’s best July performance in the last 16 years and represents a 201.8% rise compared to 5,054 units reported in pre-pandemic July 2019.

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SMMT has attributed this surge to the easing of supply chain issues and demand from overseas markets, which saw a 76.8% increase to 9,534 units.

The data shows that exports played a major role in the month’s success, accounting for 62.5% of the total production, with the EU being the primary recipient.

The domestic market also saw a substantial increase, with a 63.7% rise to 5,718 units.

This positive trend reverses four consecutive months of decline and positions year-to-date CV production 7.3% higher than the same period in 2023, with a total of 72,761 units.

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SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “An end to recent supply chain disruption signals a return to growth for the UK’s commercial vehicle sector and significant growth at that.  

“Sustaining strong global demand for British-built vans, trucks and buses, which are increasingly zero-emission, now depends on maintaining favourable trading conditions, creating healthy markets at home and boosting UK competitiveness on the global stage.”

Conversely, UK car production faced a downturn, falling by 14.4% in July due to model changeovers and ongoing supply chain challenges, according to SMMT’s latest figures.

The production of electrified vehicles maintained a significant share of 37.5% of the total output.

Domestic car production dipped by 5.1% while exports, which make up 80.9% of the production, decreased by 16.3%.

The top export destinations included the EU, Turkey, China, Japan, and the US.

Despite these mixed results, the overall value of automotive production in the UK remained high, estimated at more than £20bn ($26.3bn) at factory gate prices, mirroring the value from the previous year.