The latest industry figures from the car manufacturing industry in the UK show that the number of new cars built in the country last year drastically reduced to just under 921,000, the lowest number since 1984.
The society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief- Mike Hawes- when asked, said that the UK's car output was currently 920,928 vehicles, a 29.3% fall in 2019, making 2020 a dreadful year for the business.
Coronavirus pandemic contributed to the drop in output
Mike Hawkes added that the pandemic forced car plants to close and contributed to the drop in consumer demand.
He also added that the recent vaccine rollout by the UK government and EU trade deal has made car manufacturers hopeful about 2021's output.
He said their aim currently is to get used to the new manufacturing conditions, maneuver around the new custom burden caused by Brexit, and remain competitive at a global scale as they innovate new car products.
Independent forecasters agree with Mike Hawkes, saying that forecasts show that UK car production will partly recover in 2021 by one million.
The E.U remains the biggest UK car exports destination
The EU remained the UK's biggest export destination in 2020, responsible for a 53.5% share in the number of cars sold, despite a 30.8% drop in the volume of cars sold to the continent.
Production for UK and export markets dropped by 30.4% in 2020. In ten UK-built cars, up to eight were sold abroad, which- according to the chief-shows there should be tariff-free trade with the EU.
In December, car output reduced by 2.3% to 71,403 vehicles. Car shipments to three major countries last year all reduced by 33.7% (The US), 21.6%(Japan), and 21.8% (Australia).
Car exports to China increased by 2.3%. The ones going to South Korea got a 3.6% growth while the case was 16.7% to Taiwan. The rise is attributed to the fact that the Asian countries battled the coronavirus more successfully than their counterparts.