The UK automotive sector employed 140,000 people directly in 2023, a 4% drop from the year before as restructuring reshaped assembly roles. At the same time, automotive R and D employment reached 32,000 people in 2023, representing 23% of all sector jobs. The resulting gap between shrinking production headcount and growing engineering work sets the context for the numbers that follow.
Key Takeaways
- The UK automotive manufacturing sector employed 140,000 people directly in 2023, down 4% from 2022 due to restructuring
- UK car exports totalled 793,428 units in 2023, down 14.7% from 2022, valued at £19.2 billion
- UK automotive R&D spend reached £5.2 billion in 2023, 8% of turnover
- In 2023, UK car production totalled 775,135 vehicles, a decrease of 20.5% compared to 2022, with 181,830 units built for the domestic market and 593,305 for export
- New car registrations in the UK reached 1,903,356 in 2023, up 17.4% from 2022 but still 20% below pre-pandemic levels
UK auto industry data shows strong resilience with production stabilizing and investment continuing to grow.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment Statistics26 stats
01
The UK automotive manufacturing sector employed 140,000 people directly in 2023, down 4% from 2022 due to restructuring
02
Automotive R&D employment in the UK stood at 32,000 in 2023, representing 23% of total sector jobs
03
In 2022, the West Midlands hosted 36% of UK automotive jobs, with 82,000 employed in vehicle assembly and parts
04
Jaguar Land Rover employed 38,000 staff in the UK in FY2023, with 15% in engineering roles
05
Nissan UK workforce at Sunderland plant was 6,000 in 2023, supporting 25,000 indirect jobs regionally
06
UK automotive apprenticeships numbered 5,200 starts in 2022/23, up 12% year-on-year
07
Female employment in UK automotive manufacturing was 18% of total workforce in 2023, up from 14% in 2019
08
In 2023, 42,000 people were employed in automotive supply chain logistics within the UK
09
BMW Group UK employed 8,500 people across its plants and offices in 2023
10
The North East England automotive cluster supported 120,000 jobs in 2023, with Nissan as anchor employer
11
UK automotive sector saw 4,500 redundancies in 2023 due to plant transitions to EV production
12
Stellantis UK workforce totalled 7,000 in 2023, focused on Vauxhall and commercial vehicles
13
In 2023, 28% of UK automotive engineers held advanced degrees, averaging 12 years experience
14
Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK employed 3,200 at Burnaston in 2023, with 500 in R&D
15
UK automotive retail sector employed 295,000 people in 2023, including sales and aftersales
16
Average salary in UK automotive manufacturing was £38,500 in 2023, 15% above national average
17
In 2022, 15,000 jobs were linked to battery production and EV assembly in the UK automotive sector
18
Ford UK employed 3,500 prior to Bridgend closure in 2023, with 1,800 redundancies announced
19
UK bus manufacturing employed 4,200 people in 2023, concentrated in Scotland and Northern Ireland
20
Diversity initiatives led to 12% BAME employment in automotive in 2023, up from 8% in 2020
21
Over-50s made up 25% of UK automotive workforce in 2023, facing skills retention challenges
22
In 2023, 6,800 young people under 25 were employed in automotive manufacturing
23
Automotive aftermarket employed 180,000 in the UK in 2023, growing 3% annually
24
JLR announced 1,000 new hires for EV battery roles in 2023 at Coventry
25
UK automotive sector training investment reached £250 million in 2023, supporting 20,000 workers
26
Total automotive employment including supply chain was 823,000 in 2023, per SMMT estimates
Interpretation
Employment Statistics Interpretation
Employment across UK automotive is contracting in manufacturing with 140,000 direct jobs in 2023 down 4% from 2022 while R and D jobs remain a significant share at 32,000, showing a shift toward higher skilled roles within the employment statistics.
02 · Category
Export And Trade Statistics26 stats
01
UK car exports totalled 793,428 units in 2023, down 14.7% from 2022, valued at £19.2 billion
02
In 2023, 76.6% of UK-produced cars were exported, primarily to EU markets like Germany (18%)
03
UK commercial vehicle exports reached 112,566 units in 2023, down 24.3%
04
Jaguar Land Rover exported 80% of its FY2023 production, generating £15 billion in export revenue
05
In Q1 2024, car exports grew 2.1% to 216,102 units despite US tariff threats
06
UK engine exports in 2023 totalled 404,930 units, up 1.9%, mainly to EU
07
China became UK's top car export market in 2023 with 103,000 units, up 41%
08
US imports of UK cars were 25,464 in 2023, valued at £1.2 billion, led by JLR
09
In H1 2024, UK car exports hit record 447,721 units to China alone, up 78%
10
EU accounted for 61% of UK car exports in 2023, worth £12.5 billion post-Brexit
11
UK van exports to EU fell 28% in 2023 to 35,000 units due to trade barriers
12
Total automotive exports value reached £41 billion in 2023, supporting trade surplus of £15bn
13
Nissan exported 90% of Sunderland production in 2023, mainly to EU and US
14
UK imports 1.35 million cars in 2023, mostly from EU (74%), valued at £26 billion
15
Components exports from UK totalled £21.4 billion in 2023, 52% to EU
16
In 2023, Australia imported 12,500 UK luxury cars, up 15%
17
Turkey was top non-EU export destination in 2023 with 45,000 cars
18
UK truck exports declined 35% to 8,200 units in 2023
19
Post-Brexit, UK-EU automotive trade volume dropped 18% since 2019 to £55bn in 2023
20
In Q2 2024, car exports rose 0.7% to 190,500 units
21
BMW Mini exports from Oxford totalled 165,000 units in 2023, 87% of production
22
UK imported 180,000 EVs in 2023, 70% from China
23
Automotive trade deficit with China widened to £8.5 billion in 2023 due to imports
24
Japan imported 18,000 UK cars in 2023, mainly JLR models, up 10%
25
In 2023, 25% of UK CV exports went to Middle East, totalling 28,000 units
26
Components imports rose to £28.6 billion in 2023, 60% from EU
Interpretation
Export And Trade Statistics Interpretation
Export and trade data show UK vehicle sales abroad remained central but softened in 2023 with car exports down 14.7% to 793,428 units while 76.6% of UK-produced cars still found buyers mainly in the EU, underscoring both reliance on export markets and growing pressure from weaker demand.
03 · Category
Investment And Innovation Statistics22 stats
01
UK automotive R&D spend reached £5.2 billion in 2023, 8% of turnover
02
Jaguar Land Rover invested £15 billion in EVs from 2023-2025, including new platforms
03
UK government allocated £1 billion to Advanced Propulsion Centre in 2023 for auto R&D
04
In 2023, 12.5% of UK car production was zero-emission vehicles, targeting 25% by 2025
05
Nissan committed £1 billion to Sunderland EV hub in 2023, creating 6,000 jobs long-term
06
UK battery gigafactory investments totalled £3.4 billion by 2023, with 120GWh capacity planned
07
Stellantis invested £500 million in Ellesmere Port for EV vans by 2023
08
In 2022, UK auto sector filed 1,200 patents, focusing on electrification and autonomy
09
Tata Group pledged £4 billion for JLR UK operations 2023-2027
10
BMW invested £600 million in UK plants for EV production 2022-2023
11
UK Automotive Council launched £2.5 billion Sector Deal extension in 2023 for innovation
12
In 2023, 35% of R&D spend was on battery tech and powertrains, £1.8 billion total
13
Arrival raised £100 million for electric van innovation in UK before 2023 bankruptcy
14
Government ZEV Challenge awarded £116 million to five projects in 2023
15
Toyota announced £300 million for hydrogen fuel cell R&D in UK 2023
16
UK launched Catapult Network with £1 billion for auto digitalisation by 2023
17
In 2023, 22 UK firms received Faraday Battery Challenge funding totalling £185 million
18
Aston Martin secured £235 million investment from Saudi PIF in 2023 for tech
19
Connected and autonomous vehicle trials funded £100 million in 2023
20
UK auto software spend hit £2 billion in 2023, 40% growth from 2022
21
Ricardo PLC invested £50 million in sustainable propulsion R&D in 2023
22
In H1 2024, EV R&D investment announcements exceeded £2.5 billion
Interpretation
Investment And Innovation Statistics Interpretation
Investment in UK automotive innovation is accelerating fast, with R&D rising to £5.2 billion in 2023 and major EV commitments like Jaguar Land Rover’s £15 billion from 2023 to 2025 alongside £3.4 billion in battery gigafactory investment and a jump to 12.5% zero emission vehicle production.
More related reading
04 · Category
Production Statistics30 stats
01
In 2023, UK car production totalled 775,135 vehicles, a decrease of 20.5% compared to 2022, with 181,830 units built for the domestic market and 593,305 for export
02
UK commercial vehicle production in 2023 reached 76,625 units, down 28.1% from 2022, including 55,192 vans and 21,433 trucks
03
In Q1 2024, UK car production rose by 3.2% to 222,437 units, with 167,961 for export representing 75.5% of total output
04
UK engine production in 2023 fell to 284,969 units, a 25.7% decline year-on-year, with Jaguar Land Rover producing 62% of the total
05
In 2022, UK car production was 974,983 units, up 12.6% from 2021, driven by recovery post-chip shortages
06
Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant produced 25,000 electric vans in 2023 as part of its transition to zero-emission manufacturing
07
Nissan Sunderland plant achieved 430,000 vehicles produced in 2023, maintaining its position as UK's largest car plant
08
UK bus and coach production in 2023 totalled 5,912 units, down 15.4% from 2022
09
Toyota Burnaston plant produced 152,000 Corolla vehicles in 2023, all hybrid models
10
In 2023, 24.1% of UK-produced cars were fully electric or plug-in hybrids, up from 16.5% in 2022
11
Mini Plant Oxford produced 189,000 vehicles in 2023, including the new electric Cooper
12
UK car component production value exceeded £15 billion in 2022, supporting 186,000 jobs indirectly
13
Jaguar Land Rover's Solihull plant output reached 140,000 vehicles in FY2023
14
In H1 2024, UK car production increased 10.1% to 460,780 units year-on-year
15
Alexander Dennis Ltd produced 1,200 electric buses in 2023 at its Larbert facility
16
UK motorcycle production in 2023 was 2,450 units, primarily Triumph models, down 8.9%
17
BMW's Hams Hall engine plant produced 500,000 petrol and diesel engines in 2023
18
In 2023, UK plants manufactured 92,000 zero-emission vehicles, 11.9% of total car production
19
Ford Bridgend engine plant closure in 2023 ended production of 1.5L EcoBoost engines after 1.2 million units
20
Stellantis Luton plant shifted to electric vans, producing 10,000 Vivaro-e units in 2023
21
UK car production for export hit 905,000 units cumulatively from Jan-Jun 2024, up 7.9%
22
In 2021, UK car production was 865,787 units, impacted by semiconductor shortages
23
Honda Swindon plant ceased car production in 2021 after 30 years, with final output of 150,000 Civics
24
JCB's Rocester plant produced 25,000 diesel engines for vehicles in 2023
25
UK trailer production in 2023 reached 12,500 units, up 5.2%
26
In Q4 2023, UK car production declined 38.4% to 137,398 units due to model changeovers
27
Rolls-Royce Goodwood produced 5,739 luxury cars in 2023, up 5% from 2022
28
McLaren's Woking facility manufactured 2,493 supercars in 2023
29
Aston Martin's Gaydon and St Athan plants combined output was 6,412 vehicles in 2023
30
In 2023, the UK automotive sector produced components worth £17.2 billion, employing 40,000 directly in parts manufacturing
Interpretation
Production Statistics Interpretation
In the UK’s Production Statistics, car output fell sharply in 2023 to 775,135 vehicles down 20.5% from 2022, but early signs of stabilization appeared in Q1 2024 when production rose 3.2% to 222,437 units, showing the industry shifting from a steep post-2022 drop toward recovery.
05 · Category
Sales And Registration Statistics29 stats
01
New car registrations in the UK reached 1,903,356 in 2023, up 17.4% from 2022 but still 20% below pre-pandemic levels
02
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 16.5% of new car sales in 2023, totalling 314,684 units
03
In Q1 2024, UK new car registrations grew 11.4% to 424,420 units, with BEVs at 15.4% share
04
Diesel car sales fell to 8.4% market share in 2023, with 159,858 units registered
05
Fleet sales represented 57% of total new car registrations in 2023, up from 52% in 2022
06
Tesla Model Y was the UK's best-selling car in 2023 with 28,526 registrations
07
Ford Puma led petrol car sales in 2023 with 24,654 units as best-seller overall excluding EVs
08
In 2023, private buyer registrations increased 21.5% to 764,000 units
09
Kia Sportage was the fastest-growing model in 2023, up 164% to 24,586 registrations
10
New van registrations hit 391,307 in 2023, up 6.7%, with electric vans at 13.5% share
11
In H1 2024, new car registrations reached 1,169,682, up 6.1%
12
Plug-in hybrid sales rose 30% to 101,120 units in 2023, 5.3% market share
13
Used car sales in 2023 totalled 7.5 million units, with average price £20,800
14
Mercedes-Benz led premium brand sales in 2023 with 76,584 new cars registered
15
In 2023, 40.4% of new vans were under 2.5 tonnes, totalling 158,000 registrations
16
Volkswagen Golf registered 22,649 units in 2023, top family hatchback
17
New bus registrations in 2023 were 5,100, with 40% zero-emission
18
Retail EV sales grew 58% in 2023 to 121,000 units for private buyers
19
In Q2 2024, registrations dipped 1.3% to 383,478 amid model changeovers
20
Toyota Yaris Cross sold 20,845 units in 2023, boosted by hybrid tech
21
Used EV sales reached 200,000 in 2023, up 40%, average price £28,500
22
Nissan Qashqai was UK's top SUV in 2023 with 27,496 registrations
23
In 2023, business registrations (ex-fleet) were 285,000 new cars, up 15%
24
MG4 EV sales hit 21,715 in 2023, making MG top Chinese brand
25
New truck registrations in 2023 totalled 41,000, down 10%
26
In 2023, crossovers/SUVs took 49% of new car market share with 932,000 units
27
Audi Q4 e-tron led premium EV sales with 8,765 units in 2023
28
UK new car market share for domestic brands was 14.2% in 2023, led by Mini and Vauxhall
29
In June 2024, registrations surged 15% to 88,188 cars, best June since 2019
Interpretation
Sales And Registration Statistics Interpretation
In the UK under Sales and Registration Statistics, new car registrations rose to 1,903,356 in 2023 and BEVs climbed to 16.5% of sales at 314,684 units, showing a clear shift toward electrification even as registrations remain about 20% below pre pandemic levels.
report visual · Comparison
UK automotive workforce trends and diversity (2023)
Employment is under pressure while workforce diversity is improving—direct employment fell, but representation (female and BAME) is rising.
Female employment in UK automotive manufacturing was 18% of total workforce in 2023, up from 14% in 201918%
Diversity initiatives led to 12% BAME employment in automotive in 2023, up from 8% in 2020
12%
The UK automotive manufacturing sector employed 140,000 people directly in 2023, down 4% from 2022 due to restructuring
4%
Reference
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Uk Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Uk Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Uk Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level