Growth is a core UK government mission, and making it happen amid intense economic challenges requires ambitious action. Next week’s Spring Statement provides an opportunity for the chancellor to do just that and set out fiscal measures that boost the country’s prospects. The UK automotive sector is perfectly placed to deliver growth, provided the right […]
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in January 2025 by 3% compared with the same month in 2024. The corresponding value of new business grew by 4% over the same period. In the twelve months to January 2025, new business was […]
The EV market does not exist in a vacuum, rather a whole ecosystem in which it supports a wide array of industries. And that ecosystem is dependent on volume demand, not market percentages, to thrive. Growing EV volumes means more demand for charging, insurance, maintenance, energy services and choice in the second-hand vehicle market, where […]
The UK may no longer be in the EU but our relationship with the bloc remains critically important. The issue of defence and security looks likely to dominate that relationship and rightly so but we must also remember that our sector, like many others, is integrated operationally, with, in our case, massive volumes of vehicles […]
Automotive manufacturers are facing a perfect storm of international trade uncertainty, challenging manufacturing conditions and a global EV transition that’s proving tougher than expected – issues that affect the UK amid key model changeovers on factory lines. It’s not unexpected, therefore, that the latest SMMT data published this week showed a -17.7% dip in UK vehicle production […]
Specialist motor insurance loss adjuster Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), part of the QuestGates group, has praised the police and carmakers as new Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures show UK car thefts down 4.5% and recoveries up 2.3% year-on-year. Cars stolen and recovered in UK 2023-24 Year Total Cars Stolen Total Cars Recovered […]
The scale and pace of automotive transformation demands an influx of new skills. Upskilling, reskilling, cross-skilling and bringing fresh talent into the workforce are major undertakings for the whole industry. So it was hugely inspiring to kick off National Apprenticeship Week 2025 with SMMT’s annual Automotive Apprentice Showcase at Portcullis House, part of the Parliamentary Estate. […]
Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, the UK’s most trusted car repair platform, FixMyCar, has investigated barriers to hiring apprentices amongst its large network of garages to identify possible solutions to recruitment struggles. Running a poll with a sample of 112 independent garages on their network, FixMyCar found that interest and enthusiasm for hiring apprentices is […]
Driving up market confidence and economic growth is crucial in 2025 and the latest SMMT figures reflected that this week, with new car and light commercial vehicle registrations declining in January. It was the fourth consecutive monthly decline in the new car market amid difficult economic conditions and weak consumer and business confidence to invest. EVs delivered more positive […]
Growing pains are inevitable as automotive manufacturers ramp up the transition to zero emission vehicles and, with significant retooling underway in UK factories, the publication of SMMT’s annual production figures this week revealed no real surprises. Car production is at its lowest level for some 70 years as manufacturers turn more than £20 billion of EV and […]
