Automotive News – Early July 2026
HGV market down while zero emission uptake holds onto slim share.
- New heavy goods vehicle registrations fall -14.7% in Q2, with 8,687 trucks joining UK roads.
- First half demand down -8.9% to 18,158 units with fleet renewal constrained by tough economic conditions.
- Zero emission HGV uptake edges up 4.7% in Q2 but is down -6.6% year to date, representing less than one in 100 new trucks.
- Industry calls for measures to boost operator confidence, infrastructure delivery, and technology neutrality to accelerate decarbonisation.
New heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registrations fell by -14.7% in the second quarter of 2026, with 8,687 new trucks joining UK roads, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The performance pushed first half demand down -8.9% to 18,158 units, as the market continues to soften following three years of strong post-pandemic growth, with fleet operators balancing vehicle renewal against wider business cost pressures.
Sourced from SMMT
____________________
Bus market decline continues but ZEVs increase share.
- New bus, coach, and minibus market falls -50.6% in Q2 with 1,465 units joining UK roads.
- Minibus sector drives decline, with -70.9% drop in registrations almost halving market share.
- Zero emission bus deliveries fall -37.0% but market share grows to more than a quarter (26.5%).
The UK’s new bus, coach, and minibus market fell by -50.6% to 1,465 units in the second quarter of 2026 as demand continued to normalise after two strong years of fleet renewal, according to new data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The fourth consecutive quarterly decline was primarily due to a -70.9% fall in minibus registrations, from 1,803 units to 525, causing market share to drop to 35.8% – a steep decline on last year’s Q2 share of 60.7% when registrations were up 99.7%. Smaller declines were recorded in double-decker registrations, down -20.1% to 413 units and single-deckers, down -18.7% to 527 units.
Sourced from SMMT
____________________
Grants of between £250,000 and £3 million will be available with at least 50 per cent private match funding required.
Mayor Richard Parker said match funded grants are being made available to help businesses capitalise on new opportunities in fast-growing electric vehicle supply chains.
Suppliers can apply for a share of the £50million West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund and put themselves in pole position to win new contracts, create hundreds of new skilled jobs and protect thousands more.
Sourced from The Express and Star
____________________
The UK’s automotive industry has called for immediate government action to protect investment, jobs and international competitiveness, warning that current electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and looming trade barriers with Europe threaten the future of one of Britain’s most valuable manufacturing sectors.
Speaking at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) International Automotive Summit in London, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy had laid important foundations but warned that swift policy action is now needed to ensure the sector can deliver on growth, decarbonisation and investment ambitions.
The trade body published its latest State of the Automotive Nation report alongside its second UK Automotive Business Leaders Barometer, outlining what it describes as a blueprint for the next Prime Minister to secure the industry’s long-term future.
Sourced from The Manufacturer
____________________
Supply problems and Middle East war hit Jaguar Land Rover first quarter sales.
A raft of issues, mainly outside the control of the company, have affected 2027 first quarter sales for UK luxury car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
The group, which has manufacturing plants in Halewood, Merseyside and Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, today (July 2) reported its wholesale and retail sales for the three months ended June 30, 2026.
Wholesale sales are the finished cars JLR sells as a business, as opposed to retails which are vehicles customers buy from retailers.
Volumes were affected by temporary supply constraints, including a fire at a major component supplier at the start of the quarter; market disruption linked to the conflict in the Middle East; and the planned wind down of outgoing Jaguar models ahead of the launch of Jaguar Type 01.
Sourced from The Business Desk
____________________
Van market posts half-year gain but EV transition still lags.
- 31,602 new vans, pickups and 4x4s join UK roads in June, up 12.2% year on year.
- Medium and heavy van demand rises, but pickup registrations fall for ninth month, down -57.6% as fiscal changes continue to impact demand.
- Battery electric uptake grows 23.2% to push market share to 11.5% – but still less than half the mandated target.
UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations rose 12.2% in June to 31,602 units, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The third consecutive month of growth lifted first half registrations by 1.7% to 158,648 units, reversing the decline recorded during the same period last year.
The June uplift was driven primarily by demand for larger vans. Registrations of vans weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes increased 12.6% to 21,951 units in the month, while medium-sized vans rose 62.1% to 6,795 units. 4×4 registrations grew by 20.8%, but vans weighing less than 2.0 tonnes declined by -19.3%.
Sourced from SMMT
____________________
EV market hits new high but target gap remains.
- June new car market rises 11.4% in best performance for the month since the pandemic.
- BEV uptake reaches 30.0% market share buoyed by growing choice, sustained discounting, and quarter-end activity.
- Overall market 9.2% up at mid-year but BEV share remains below ambition, with three in four buyers still not switching.
The UK new car market’s recovery continued in June, with registrations rising 11.4% to reach 213,166 units in the best performance for the month since 2019, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Growth was recorded across all sectors, with registrations by private buyers up 12.5%, fleet deliveries increasing by 10.5% and the smaller business segment posting a 17.1% rise. Fleets continued to comprise the lion’s share of the overall market, accounting for six in 10 (59.5%) new cars registered.
Sourced from SMMT
____________________
West Midlands automotive suppliers are being offered access to a new £50m funding programme designed to help businesses win work in the fast-growing electric vehicle (EV) supply chain.
Applications have opened for the West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund, a four-year programme delivered by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) through the Government’s DRIVE35 initiative.
Offering match-funded grants, the programme will support manufacturers, engineering firms and specialist suppliers investing in new equipment, workforce skills, and production capacity as demand for EV technologies continues to grow.
Sourced from TheBusinessDesk
____________________
Caetano UK cancelled 60% of its planned orders during a major restructuring after reporting a sharp collapse in sales and profits.
Accounts for the Leicestershire-based luxury coach distributor show turnover fell 73.8% from £46m to £12.1m in the year to 31 December 2025.
Pre-tax profit also tumbled 93%, dropping from £1.78m to £125,198. The workforce reduced from 13 employees to 12.
Directors said the company continued delivering Levante coaches to National Express during the year but cancelled around 60% of planned orders in October as it reshaped the business for future market conditions.
Sourced from TheBusinessDesk
____________________
