15 commercial vehicles manufactured in April, down -99.3%

Only 15 units ran off UK commercial vehicle (CV) production lines in April, -99.3 per cent down year-on-year.The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) chief executive, Mike Hawes said that while unsurprising, the figures “illustrate the incredible challenge facing the UK commercial vehicle sector” as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown.

Plants were forced to close their doors due to the global pandemic. The handful of commercial vehicles to leave factory gates completed existing orders, all destined for the UK market, with zero exports in the month.

The SMMT adds that year-to-date commercial vehicle production fell -27.6% on what was already an exceptionally weak April in 2019, when volumes fell a staggering -70.9 per cent due to planned factory shutdowns timed to mitigate any disruption arising from the anticipated March Brexit.

Source: SMMT

While vehicle production was all but halted in April as key global markets closed, the SMMT reveals that many manufacturers continued to make spare parts and offer repair and maintenance services to help keep essential vehicles on the road and supply chains moving throughout the crisis.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “These figures, though unprecedentedly low, are not surprising given the exceptional circumstances. However, they do illustrate the incredible challenge facing the UK commercial vehicle sector and, consequently, the wider economy. Production lines are beginning to roll again but, with strict social distancing measures in place, scaling up to full capacity will be a gradual process. To accelerate a sustainable recovery of this critical and fundamentally strong industry and futureproof jobs, we will need government’s ongoing support.”