POOR: Figures make unhappy reading
UK commercial vehicle production fell 11.8% to 7,942 units in July – meaning the industry’s poor 2013 continues to disappoint.
Year-to-date levels now show a drop of 13.3% to 56,459 units, though export demand did increase 20.3% in July.
Nigel Base, Commercial Vehicle Manager of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “Commercial vehicle manufacturers continue to battle against weak demand, despite a moderate increase in exports in July.
“The outlook for commercial vehicle manufacturing for the rest of the year continues to be tough, especially following the closure of the Ford facility in Southampton at the end of July.
“However, there are some areas, such as bus and coach production, where we are continuing to see growth as operators take advantage of the wide range of vehicles built in the UK.”
