Made in Britain – Made for the World
The UK is already an automotive production powerhouse with one of the most diverse product bases in the world – including everything
from mass market cars, to vans, trucks, buses, specialist and luxury vehicles, exported globally.
automotive production powerhouse
As we move towards next generation zero emission production, two in five cars built in the UK are electrified already.
Manufacturing facilities are found in every region of the country, producing almost every single component needed for EVs, along with electric and hydrogen cars, vans, buses and trucks. Almost 200,000 people are employed directly in automotive manufacturing, while finished vehicles are the UK’s single most valuable trade commodity, now generating more than £47 billion a year in revenue.
This in turn supports a far wider ecosystem of 813,000 jobs in total – with millions more dependent on the essential mobility that vehicles provide.
The Plan
Ensure Free Trade Agreements support the UK’s industrial capability and changing technologies through appropriate Rules of Origin and market access rules.
Establish and maintain new and innovative partnerships with minerals-rich countries such as Australia, Canada and Indonesia to secure supplies of critical raw materials and other inputs.
Create the best possible conditions for remanufacturing and the circular economy to source tariff-free from anywhere, to process and/or recycle them in the UK for re-use at home and abroad without tariffs.
Deliver a modern border and customs framework that facilitates smooth, costeffective trade, supported by trade promotion and export services and funding.
The Prize
Current factory repurposing for electric vehicle production means that output will dip until the end of 2025, but the right policies would then turbocharge towards 2030 and beyond.
While more than half of all British car and van production is expected to be zero emission by 2028, more advantageous trade conditions would enable greater total output and attract more inward investment to the UK as a place to do business.
With the right support, by the end of 2035, the UK would cumulatively have produced more than nine million zero emission light vehicles – an extra 600,000 than anticipated under current outlooks – and worth over £290 billion at factory gate prices.
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