SMMT: UK commercial vehicle production to grow 16% in first half of 2023

According to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing grew by 16% in the first half of the year, with 58,675 vehicles rolling off the production line, with 11,748 produced in June, up 23%. This is also the best first half of the year for UK van production since 2011 as supply chain restrictions continue to ease.

Driven by overseas demand, H1 production was 67% higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with exports of the latest UK-built CVs up 26.7% from the same period last year to 37,803. Overseas shipments accounted for 64.4% of all CVs shipped since January, with the majority (92.8%) going to the EU, followed by the US and Asia.

This growth will continue through the rest of the year, driven by new model production activity, notably the expected opening of a new electric van production plant in the North West. As a result, the latest independent outlook forecasts a 44% increase in light CV production this year to around 114,500 units. If economic conditions allow and the UK-EU electric vehicle trading relationship continues to operate as it does today, UK electric vehicle sales are expected to rise again to nearly 150,000 units by 2024.