The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released its full year data for 2020, which sheds light on the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on engine manufacturing.
Over the course of last year, engine manufacturing saw a total drop of 27% compared with 2019, with just 1.8 million units produced. This reduction was shared across both domestic and overseas markets, which fell 23.4% and 29.1% respectively.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, observed, “2020 was a tough year for UK engine manufacturers with the coronavirus pandemic chiefly responsible for the fall in output. That said, factories still turned out more than 1.8 million internal combustion engines, with the majority of these exported globally. This reinforces how important it is that, in the increasingly rapid transition to electrification, the UK’s skilled engine manufacturing workforce is not left behind, as they should be a critical component in positioning the country as a competitive place to produce ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles.”
