The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called upon the government to keep the UK automotive industry alive and kicking following the announcement of Brexit. It’s no surprise, as data from the SMMT shows last year there was a record turnover of £71.6 billion – a 7.3% increase on 2014. New car sales have been very successful in recent times and as a result the manufacturing industry has seen healthy growth.
Vehicle production is up by 5.2% and the industry provided 17,000 extra jobs last year but despite the extra production, the carbon footprint has decreased. The environmental impact from production has been reduced with waste to landfill down by 24.2% and average new car emissions are down by a third since 2000.
There is an air of uncertainty in the automotive industry following the UK’s decision to leave the EU and trading to Europe could become troublesome. This could jeopardise jobs within the industry and the SMMT are keen to ensure new trade deals with Europe can be agreed.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “UK Automotive has gone from strength to strength, and is now delivering record turnover, record productivity and more jobs. These strong results go hand in hand with a steadfast commitment to improving our environmental performance, which is clearly demonstrated through reductions in CO2, waste and water use.
“This success has been due to unrestricted access to the single market, input to EU legislation to safeguard the interests of UK Automotive, and the ability to recruit talent from abroad. Our growth depends on certainty and continued open and reciprocal access to the 100-plus markets with which the UK automotive industry so successfully trades. This is not just finished cars but components, technologies and the wider automotive value chain. Any risks and uncertainty to these fundamental benefits need to be addressed head on by UK government.”