UK engine production down by -75% in May as manufacturing emerges from lockdown

• UK Auto builds 55,836 engines in May – skyrocketing from just 830 in April, but still down -75.0% on last year.
• Dedicated support needed to accelerate production restart against a backdrop of subdued demand.
• Year-to-date production down by almost half a million units compared with 2019 – a drop of -41.5%.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said,

As the world’s vehicle assembly lines start to roll again, it’s good to see the UK’s cutting-edge engine plants follow suit. However, subdued demand across key global markets means restart is tentative and it will be some time before full capacity resumes. Until then, to keep cash flowing and safeguard thousands of livelihoods, we need government to dig deeper to support the sector. Support now will pay dividends later, as a successful restart will provide the foundations for future growth.