- Commercial vehicle (CV) output fell 3.3% in April to 8,623 units.
- While output continued to decline in April, the fall was less pronounced and output for the home market grew.
- CV output so far this year is down 15.2% and while some CV manufacturers are performing better than others, net volumes are expected to fall over the full year.
“Demand for UK-built commercial vehicles continued to fall in April, with output dropping 3.3%. There is growth at some UK plants which helped to ease the rate of decline compared to previous months this year,” said Mike Baunton, SMMT Interim Chief Executive. “2013 is proving to be a difficult year for our CV manufacturers as they experience weak demand from export markets, particularly Europe. Rising output for the home market is encouraging, demonstrating that UK operators are keen to exploit the diverse variety of CVs made in the UK from light vans to double-decker buses and large trucks.”
| CV manufacturing |
Apr-12 |
Apr-13 |
% Change |
YTD-12 |
YTD-13 |
% Change |
|
Total |
8,913 |
8,623 |
-3.3% |
38,284 |
32,477 |
-15.2% |
|
Home |
3,131 |
3,897 |
24.5% |
15,177 |
16,563 |
9.1% |
|
Export |
5,782 |
4,726 |
-18.3% |
23,107 |
15,914 |
-31.1% |
|
% export |
64.9% |
54.8% |
|
60.4% |
49.0% |
|
