Production of commercial vehicles in the UK fell 21.7 percent in 2013 to 87,671 units. The culprit, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), was weak demand in Europe, producing a difficult environment for commercial vehicle manufacturers. The SMMT predicts the market to remain subdued into 2014.

 “Production of commercial vehicles struggled in 2013, due to restructuring of manufacturing operations and difficult economic conditions across Europe,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. “With early signs of recovery on the continent and better performance in the truck and bus sectors, there are reasons to be positive, but we expect overall volumes to remain subdued for some months yet.”

CV manufacturing

Dec-12

Dec-13

% Change

YTD-12

YTD-13

% Change

Total

6,851

5,136

-25.0%

112,039

87,671

-21.7%

Home

3,301

1,014

-69.3%

48,306

39,761

-17.7%

Export

3,550

4,122

16.1%

63,733

47,910

-24.8%

% export

51.8%

80.3%

 

56.9%

54.6%

 

Source: SMMT

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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