Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders [SMMT] show that car production in the UK fell by 6.7 per cent in 2021, with 859,575 units produced.
The SMMT confirmed in a statement this week that the output was the “worst total since 1956”.
The figure was 34 per cent down on overall production in 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Supply chain issues, including the shortage of materials such as semiconductors, were earmarked as blame factors.
Elsewhere, the SMMT’s figures showed that electric, hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles enjoyed record production last year in what became the “most successful year in history” for uptake in greener cars.
224,011 electric, hybrid electric or plug-in hybrid units were produced, equating to 26.1 per cent of all UK car production in 2021.
Battery-powered electric vehicle [BEV] production rose by 72 per cent, while hybrid production increased by 16.4 per cent.
In total, a record number of 190,727 new battery electric cars were registered in the UK over the year, which exceeds the previous five years combined. Tesla’s Model 3 electric car was the second best-selling new vehicle for the year in the country, behind only the Vauxhall Corsa.
The move is an encouraging one as the UK government seeks to transition to a low-carbon industry by 2030, when it plans to stop the sale of new diesel and unleaded petrol cars and vans.
From 2035, the UK government will mandate all new cars and vans to have zero exhaust emissions.
V Installations, a provider of mechanical handling systems to the global automotive industry, is one sector operator that will be playing a part in the transition.
The business is a specialist at developing improved, integrated and bespoke solutions to suit its individual clients and their aspirations. Among its services, it is capable of providing a full range of overhead and floor conveyor products, and covers manufacturing, mechanical handling into automotive BIW and trim, assembly lines, delivery systems, logistics, body shop, paint shop and trim and final.
Managing director, Gary Fox, commented: “Within the last five years, we at V Installations have implemented a wide range of solutions within the automotive industry, including 2,480 powered roller beds, 124 drop section/elevators, 60 shuttles, 320 side transfer systems and much more.
“We have also supplied a new body transfer conveyor system to a prestigious electric car manufacturer in North America for their electric-powered vehicle facility, designed and manufactured by our team in Solihull and shipped over to California.
“This underlines our intention to become a global supplier to the automotive industry. The project was delivered under tight and compressed time scales, and we are immensely proud to have met this expectation, delivering the conveyor within the allocated time frame.”
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
