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UK car manufacturing slumped in July to levels last seen 65 years ago as shortages of semiconductors and staff continued to wreak havoc on the auto industry.
Carmakers made only 53,438 vehicles, down 38pc from a year ago and the lowest for the month of July since 1956, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said this morning.
In addition to the chip shortage that has idled assembly lines around the globe, Britain’s carmakers have also struggled with a wave of workers being “pinged” by the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app – although the Government this month lifted the requirement for fully vaccinated adults to isolate after coming into contact with an infected person.
“While the impact of the ‘pingdemic’ will lessen as self-isolation rules change, the worldwide shortage of semiconductors shows little sign of abating,” Mike Hawes, the chief executive officer of SMMT, said in a statement, as he called for the Government to reduce energy levies and business taxes for the sector.
Meanwhile, the data also shows that just over a…
