Automotive News – Late June 2026

Vehicle production up but pressures persist

• May vehicle output rises 2.7% to 51,178 units in first monthly uplift this year.
• Car production grows 3.2%, reversing four months of decline, while CV output falls -7.6%.
• 317,779 vehicles built in first five months, down -8.7%, with three quarters of output exported.
• Sector urges action on energy costs, trade and market regulation to secure UK competitiveness.

UK vehicle production rose 2.7% in May to 51,178 units, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).  Car output grew 3.2% to 49,249 units, reversing four months of decline, while commercial vehicle (CV) volumes fell -7.6% to 1,929 units.

The stronger overall performance was driven by overseas orders, which recovered following a -30.3% decline in May last year when US tariff uncertainty pushed volumes to the lowest level since Covid-hit 2020.1 Car exports rose 3.9% to 38,897 units, while CV shipments increased 61.0% to 1,391 units, delivering an overall 5.2% outbound trade boost. Car production for the UK market was broadly stable, up 0.7% to 10,352 units, while CV output for UK buyers fell -56.0% to 538 units.

Sourced from SMMT

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A UK-led consortium has unveiled advanced cast aluminium vehicle subframes that could help transform automotive manufacturing by significantly reducing weight while cutting development costs and speeding up production.

The components, developed through the £5.8m Performance Integrated Vehicle Optimisation Technology (PIVOT) project, are 17% lighter at the front and 35% lighter at the rear than the structures they are designed to replace on a demonstrator vehicle for a major British OEM.

The breakthrough was revealed at the “Casting the Future of Aluminium” event, hosted by the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), highlighting the potential of advanced casting and virtual engineering to support the next generation of lightweight, high-performance vehicles.

Sourced from The Manufacturer

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Jaguar Land Rover, the UK luxury car manufacturer, has updated its ‘Reimagine’ growth strategy, targeting medium term double-digit revenue growth.

The group, which employs 34,000 staff in the UK and makes cars at three sites in Halewood, Merseyside, and Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, was hit by a six-week shutdown last September after hackers targeted its systems which is estimated to have wreaked almost £2bn-worth of financial damage.

Measures outlined in an update this morning (June 17) included five new product launches including electric Range Rover variants and Jaguar Type 01, a Memorandum of Understanding with auto giant Stellantis focused on the North American Defender market, £1.7bn in cost savings targeting breakeven at 300,000 units, and an £18bn five-year investment commitment by fiscal year 2029.

Sourced from TheBusinessDesk