According to the UK’s SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), October saw engine production across the country’s plants fall once more, with a decline in output of 20.1%.
Engines for export took the greatest hit, with a 25.2% drop, while domestic production fared better, with a 16.4% reduction. According to the organization, year-to-date figures remained 30.1% below 2019 levels.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, observed, “Another month of decline in UK engine production is extremely worrying. Manufacturers, who have already spent significant sums on responding to the pandemic and preparing for Brexit, must now contend with an end-of-sale date for internal combustion engines in under a decade. We must ensure that in the transition to electrification our skilled engine-making workforce is not left behind. That’s why we need to see a new and comprehensive industrial strategy introduced in 2021, starting with the delivery of the Automotive Transformation Fund, to ensure the UK remains a competitive place to produce ultra-low and zero-emission cars and powertrains.”
