The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports that the upturn in van registrations of recent months continued in October, with 18,147 new registrations making a 22.4 per cent increase on September’s figures. Truck registrations recorded a spectacular-sounding 79.9 per cent rise on September, though that month was represented by the lowest figures in recent memory. 3,158 new trucks were registered.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has issued a statement recommending motorists use winter tyres to improve road safety, which the association says echos recommendations set out by government. The report, which has been released in the context of a review of England’s infrastructural resilience during winter, outlines recommendations for industry to develop technical solutions to be better prepared for adverse weather conditions.
According to the SMMT, the report, based on consultations with 132 private and public sector organisations, was commissioned in March 2010 by the secretary of state for transport, Philip Hammond MP, and written in response to the winter of 2008/09, which recorded the harshest UK winter conditions in 30 years.
After experiencing 31 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2010, market analysts are predicting that second quarter car production could have increased by as much 10 per cent for the second quarter and may increase 20 per cent for the first half as a whole. Current estimates suggest European production will increase 3 per cent in the second quarter.
UK new car registrations rose 13.5 per cent in May (compared with May 2009), the 11th successive monthly rise. 153,095 cars were registered in May compared with 134,858 in May 2009. Broken down by the two main channels, the results are particularly positive in the fleet sector, which reported a 16 per cent increase compared with a 12.3 per cent in the private market.
Volumes over the first five months of the year have risen 22 per cent. According to the SMMT, the growth reflects the weakness of the 2009 market, with May volumes still 14.6 per cent or 26,177 units down on the 2008 level.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders anticipates a rise in vehicle production volumes this year, the start of a recovery that will accelerate over the next two years. “Looking at the production picture in Europe at the moment, we think the recovery is actually beginning now and despite the threat of the financial crisis hitting Europe we think there is a good chance that 2010 will be much better than had been hitherto thought,” stated Ian Henry, director of AutoAnalysis and author of the May 2010 SMMT report on production outlook. “We actually now think that in 2010 the volumes will actually be up over 2009 and we think there’ll be a further recovery in 2011. But the real climb back will come from 2012, once the financial crisis has completely been erased and a range of new models come on-stream.”
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders registration figures suggest the UK’s slow upturn in light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes continued in April 2010, but trucks remained in the downward trend experienced since the last quarter of 2008. “UK van registrations rose in April, continuing the welcome growth over the first quarter of 2010,” said Paul Everitt, chief executive at the SMMT. “Demand for trucks is still running well below pre-recession levels and continues to reflect weak demand and a lack of business confidence. As our new government establishes itself, the priority must be sustaining and strengthening the economic recovery with particular focus on encouraging the availability of more and better priced finance.” Of course, the supposition that there will be a government able to establish itself may come under threat after the indeterminate result of the UK election.
Department for Transport figures published on 6 May suggest that the growth in first-time UK vehicle registrations continued to grow in March 2010, with a 23.1 per cent year-on-year rise in vehicles registered in the month. 455.5 thousand vehicles of all types were registered in March 2010, compared with 370.1 thousand in March 2009. While this represents a palpable rise in line with year-on-year figures over the last six months, sales are still down on pre-recession figures; 535.6 thousand vehicles were registered in March 2008.
The UK is the fourth largest automotive producer in Europe, building two million engines and one million vehicles in 2009, according to latest Motor Industry Facts book published today (20 April 2010) by SMMT. Full year 2009 used car sales volumes were down only marginally on 2008 to 6,798,864 or 5.4 per cent. Automotive manufacturing is said to account for 10.6 per cent of total UK exports, valued at £26.6 billion.
More than a fortnight after the much famed scrappage scheme came to an end and two weeks before the general election, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published a “manifesto” urging the next government (whoever they will be) to continue support for the UK automotive industry.
Directing its plans squarely at the next government, SMMT outlines the key issues that will affect the UK motor industry in the near future and advises on policy direction to maximise the industry’s potential. The automotive sector is a vital part of the UK economy with a turnover of £52 billion, exports amounting to 10 per cent of the UK total and supporting over 800,000 jobs and is at the forefront of low-carbon technology.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures state that by 31 March, 372,401 new cars had been registered through the scrappage scheme, accounting for 12.2 per cent of all new car registrations in March. In addition, the scheme accounted for 3.2 per cent of the total van market in March, with 6,577 new LCVs registered through the scheme since it began in May 2009.
Car production in the UK increased 62.7 per cent year-on-year in February, with a total of 97,255 vehicles produced. This means that, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, year-to-date car production has reached 198,445 units, an increase of 63.8 per cent over the same period last year. Commercial vehicle production in February increased 74.2 per cent year-on-year to 10,226 units, while the 19,382 commercial vehicles manufactured in the first two months of 2010 represent a 36.3 per cent increase on January and February 2009.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says February saw an increase in the number of new van registrations in the UK; up 26.1 per cent on the same month in 2009 to 8,978, raising the 2010 year-to-date total to 20,524 – 8.8 per cent up on January-February last year. However, truck sales continued their downward trajectory, totalling 1,370 in February, over a third down on the same month in 2009 (-36.6 per cent). Sales were also sluggish in January, leaving new truck registrations in 2010 43.7 per cent down from the same stage in 2009. In total, truck and van sales combined were 11.5 per cent up for February year-on-year, but 2.5 per cent down in year to date figures.
The majority of volume car manufacturers with UK plants are showing strong interest in sourcing more locally-built components. That’s the view of the latest independent research commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which highlights the tactical advantages of UK component sourcing including: benefiting from a favourable exchange rate; minimising the vulnerabilities and logistical costs associated with an extended supply chain; and the UK’s flexible labour force and positive industrial relations as reasons for looking for supply options within the UK.
The report recognised the significant opportunities arising from the transition to a low carbon economy, but also identified some conventional technologies that manufacturers would like to source more of in the UK. This list included what are described as “basic automotive components” such as: alloy wheels, alternators and starter motors, brake components, castings and forgings, fasteners, nuts and bolts, plastic mouldings in general, large stampings, sheet steel and aluminium, transmission components and wring harnesses. So called high technology areas included: electronic control units (ECUs) in general, satellite navigation systems, advanced air conditioning and safety systems especially airbags.
Despite the positive impact of the scrappage scheme the recession led to the lowest annual sales in the new car industry for almost fifteen years. According to data released by the SMMT, full year registrations were down 6.4 per cent to 1,994,999 units in 2009, the lowest level since 1995. New car registrations rose in December by 38.9 per cent to 150,936 units.
What’s worse is that the situation would have ben dire had it not have been for the scrappage scheme backed by both manufacturers and the government. Since its introduction, the scrappage scheme has accounted for over a fifth of all new car registrations and is estimated to represent 20.8 per cent of the December market.
New car registrations in Europe EU27 + EFTA) rose 26.6 per cent to 1,182,082 in November 2009, a far cry from the 25.8 per cent drop in the same month last year. Western Europe’s increase of 30.6 per cent contrasted with a 16.7 per cent drop experienced by the new EU Member States and reflects the impact of fleet renewal schemes in a number of main Western European markets. The UK market, for instance, shot up 57.6 per cent to 158,082 new registrations in November – although, admittedly, November 2008 was the month of steepest decline during the 15-month run of falling volumes between May 2008 and June 2009. Scrappage accounted for 21.6 per cent of all new car registrations during the month.
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