UK car production saw significant growth in April but still remains short of recovery, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

In April, the UK made 68,306 cars, compared to just 197 a year ago when Covid restrictions effectively halted manufacturing. The performance was 3.8% below the April 2019 output. So far this year UK factories have turned out 374,864 cars, with April’s performance offsetting earlier declines to drive a 17.3% overall increase, but 15% down on the same four-month period in 2019.

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When compared with a five-year average, production was down 42.9% for the month and 31.1% for the period January – April, reflecting the scale of the challenge facing the industry as it seeks to recover from the pandemic.

The April figures also reveal UK automotive manufacturing’s increasing shift towards electrified vehicles. In the month, 22.8% of all UK car manufacturing was for battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars, while in the year-to-date alternatively fuelled model production is up 33.1% on the same period in 2019.

Compared with 2020, since January, production for the UK market has declined 3.1% while car exports have risen 22.5% with more than eight in every ten (83.3%) cars made shipped overseas. So far this year the European Union remains by far the most important destination for British cars, taking 52.1% of all exports, followed by the US (17.4%) and China (7.4%).

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: “April’s figures were always going to be exceptional as factories were closed at this time last year amid the first wave of the pandemic. However, the situation for UK car manufacturers remains challenging, particularly with the worldwide shortage of semiconductors affecting output.

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“While it’s good news that the UK is on track with its Covid roadmap back to normality, we still need strong domestic demand and given we’re export-led, confident overseas markets to drive a recovery, both for the automotive sector and for the wider economy.”

Total sales in the UK new car market saw a 30-fold sales boost in April, driven by the reopening of showrooms on 12 April.