Currently reading: Nissan boss: UK 'more challenging' for car makers

The UK's shrinking car output means suppliers are harder to attract, creating a vicious cycle

The UK is becoming “more challenging” as an automotive manufacturing base as the industry shrinks and becomes less attractive to suppliers, according to the country’s largest car manufacturer, Nissan.

The UK produced 775,014 cars in 2022, down 9.8% on 2021 and 41% down on pre-pandemic 2019, when more than 1.3 million cars were built, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

“The UK is becoming more and more challenging as a manufacturing footprint,” Nissan chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta told journalists at a London event on Monday.

According to Gupta, the UK’s shrinking car output is making it harder to source locally.

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