UK automotive still moves the economy at scale, with the sector contributing £82 billion to UK GDP in 2022 and adding £71 billion through supply chain effects. Investment is reshaping that output fast, with total automotive investment reaching £15 billion across 2021 to 2023. The figures land differently across production, sales, and registrations, so comparisons need category-level context to make sense.
Key Takeaways
- Automotive sector contributed £82 billion to UK GDP in 2022 (latest full data)
- The UK automotive workforce employed 166,000 people directly in 2023
- UK automotive exports totalled £39.5 billion in 2023, up 13%
- UK car production totalled 904,490 vehicles in 2023, a 19.2% increase from 2022
- New car registrations in the UK totalled 1,903,356 units in 2023, up 17.4% from 2022
UK used car prices keep rising faster than wages, putting pressure on motorists and budgets.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Impact and Investments22 stats
01
Automotive sector contributed £82 billion to UK GDP in 2022 (latest full data)
02
Direct GVA from manufacturing £26 billion in 2022
03
Total investment in UK automotive reached £15 billion 2021-2023
04
JLR committed £15 billion investment plan to 2025 including UK
05
Nissan £1 billion EV investment in Sunderland announced 2023
06
£2.5 billion government Advanced Manufacturing Plan for autos 2023
07
EV battery gigafactory investments total £3.3 billion by 2023 announcements
08
Sector paid £7.1 billion corporation tax in 2022
09
Supply chain multiplier effect added £71 billion to economy in 2022
10
R&D spend £5.2 billion by OEMs in UK 2022
11
Stellantis £100 million Luton EV van investment 2023
12
Regional GDP contribution West Midlands £25 billion from autos 2022
13
£500 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre funding 2023
14
Exports supported 250,000 jobs worth £20 billion wages 2023 est.
15
Toyota £240 million new Corolla investment Deeside 2021-23
16
Net Zero transition costs estimated £12 billion to 2030
17
Retail sector turnover £70 billion in 2023
18
Foreign direct investment £2.7 billion in 2023
19
£1 billion Faraday Battery Challenge projects operational 2023
20
VAT contributions £15 billion from sector 2022
21
Apprenticeship levy return £300 million to skills in 2023
22
Bentley £2 billion electrification investment plan 2023-30
Interpretation
Economic Impact and Investments Interpretation
While still the nation's economic engine, the UK automotive sector is now frantically retooling its petrol-headed past into an electric future, a multi-billion pound gamble where the sheer scale of investment proves both its immense value and the colossal cost of staying relevant.
02 · Category
Employment and Workforce27 stats
01
The UK automotive workforce employed 166,000 people directly in 2023
02
Manufacturing roles accounted for 82,000 jobs in UK motor industry in 2023
03
Jaguar Land Rover employed 38,000 UK staff in 2023
04
Nissan UK workforce totalled 6,500 at Sunderland plant in 2023
05
Apprentice numbers in UK automotive sector reached 12,000 in 2023
06
Female employment share in motor manufacturing rose to 22% in 2023
07
UK automotive supply chain supported 185,000 indirect jobs in 2023
08
Average salary in UK car manufacturing was £32,500 in 2023
09
15,000 new jobs created in EV manufacturing transition by 2023
10
Toyota UK employed 3,200 staff across plants in 2023
11
Redundancies in sector totalled 4,200 in 2023 due to plant closures
12
STEM skills gap affected 40% of UK automotive employers in 2023
13
Bentley employed 4,200 in Crewe, 25% skilled engineers in 2023
14
UK motor retail employed 360,000 people in 2023
15
Diversity: 5% BAME representation in manufacturing workforce 2023
16
Training investment hit £250 million by OEMs in 2023
17
Age profile: 25% workforce over 55 in UK automotive 2023
18
Stellantis UK staff 18,000 across sites in 2023
19
Electric vehicle battery skills roles grew 50% to 2,500 in 2023
20
Regional employment: West Midlands 45% of total automotive jobs 2023
21
Zero-hour contracts in retail 12% of workforce in 2023
22
Rolls-Royce Motors 2,500 employees in Goodwood 2023
23
Automotive engineering graduates entering industry 8,000 annually in 2023
24
Union membership 35% in manufacturing plants 2023
25
Gigafactory jobs projected 8,000 at full capacity by 2026, current 1,000 in 2023
26
Dealer technician shortage 20,000 vacancies in 2023
27
McLaren 1,400 staff in 2023
Interpretation
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
While the UK automotive industry flexes its considerable muscle with 166,000 direct jobs, a buzzing electric pulse of 15,000 new EV roles, and a £32,500 average salary, it’s simultaneously trying to plug a worrying leak represented by a 20,000-strong technician shortage, a 40% STEM skills gap, and a workforce where one in four is over 55, proving that even this powerful engine needs constant tuning for the road ahead.
03 · Category
Exports and Imports28 stats
01
UK automotive exports totalled £39.5 billion in 2023, up 13%
02
Cars accounted for 77% of automotive exports value at £30.4 billion in 2023
03
US was top destination with £6.2 billion car exports in 2023
04
EU exports fell to 52% share but £21 billion value in 2023
05
China imported £1.1 billion UK luxury cars in 2023
06
Commercial vehicle exports reached £4.7 billion in 2023, up 22%
07
80% of UK-produced cars exported in 2023
08
Australia post-Brexit trade deal boosted exports by 15% to £800 million in 2023
09
Engine exports totalled £2.1 billion, down 8% in 2023
10
Japan imported 12,000 UK cars worth £500 million in 2023
11
Turkey CV exports up 40% to £300 million in 2023
12
Imports totalled £48.2 billion in 2023, up 5%
13
EU car imports 1.1 million units, 65% of market in 2023
14
Germany supplied 22% of UK car imports in 2023
15
Japan car imports 150,000 units to UK in 2023
16
Chinese imports surged 200% to 70,000 vehicles in 2023
17
Trade deficit widened to £8.7 billion for cars in 2023
18
Components exports £12 billion, imports £25 billion in 2023
19
Mexico CV exports from UK £450 million in 2023
20
South Korea imports to UK £2.5 billion vehicles in 2023
21
UAE luxury exports £900 million from UK in 2023
22
Post-Brexit customs delays cost £1.2 billion in 2023 exports
23
UK van exports 110,000 units mainly to Europe in 2023
24
India imports niche UK cars £200 million in 2023
25
Spain top EU export destination 120,000 cars in 2023
26
EV exports doubled to 100,000 units in 2023
27
Components imports from China up 30% to £5 billion in 2023
28
Canada exports £400 million UK vehicles in 2023
Interpretation
Exports and Imports Interpretation
While the UK's car exports are motoring along nicely, the industry is running on fumes due to a lopsided trade deficit, Brexit potholes, and a worrying dependence on imported parts, proving we're still better at selling our wheels abroad than making them self-sufficiently at home.
More related reading
04 · Category
Production and Manufacturing30 stats
01
UK car production totalled 904,490 vehicles in 2023, a 19.2% increase from 2022
02
UK commercial vehicle production reached 198,000 units in 2023, up 36.4% year-on-year
03
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) production in the UK hit 126,000 units in 2023, representing 13.9% of total car output
04
UK engine production stood at 346,000 units in 2023, a decline of 10.3% from the previous year
05
Jaguar Land Rover produced 430,000 vehicles in the UK in fiscal year 2023
06
Nissan Sunderland plant output was 430,000 vehicles in 2023, making it Europe's largest car plant by volume
07
UK car production for export accounted for 77.6% of total output in 2023
08
Toyota Burnaston plant produced 152,000 vehicles in 2023
09
Mini Oxford plant output reached 185,000 vehicles in 2023
10
Vauxhall Ellesmere Port produced 85,000 vans in 2023 before transition to EVs
11
UK axle production totalled 1.2 million units in 2023
12
Stellantis UK plants produced 250,000 vehicles combined in 2023
13
UK car production in December 2023 was 67,915 units, up 32.3%
14
Electric drivetrain production rose 70% to 150,000 units in 2023
15
UK manufactured 38% of all cars produced in Europe in Q4 2023
16
Honda Swindon plant ceased car production in 2021 with 130,000 units final output
17
Ford Bridgend engine plant closed in 2020 after producing 10 million engines
18
UK component sector output value was £15.6 billion in 2022
19
Alexander Dennis bus production hit 3,000 vehicles in 2023
20
Bentley Crewe produced 13,560 cars in 2023, a record high
21
Rolls-Royce Goodwood output was 6,032 vehicles in 2023, up 5%
22
UK van production reached 152,000 units in 2023, up 41%
23
Aston Martin Gaydon produced 6,412 cars in 2023
24
McLaren Technology Centre output 2,306 vehicles in 2023
25
Lotus Hethel produced 1,800 vehicles in 2023
26
UK car body production was 850,000 units in 2023
27
Transmission production totalled 450,000 units in 2023, down 5%
28
UK produced 12% of global luxury car volume in 2023 from brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce
29
JLR Halewood produced 200,000 Range Rovers and Defenders in 2023
30
UK OEMs invested £2.5 billion in new manufacturing facilities in 2023
Interpretation
Production and Manufacturing Interpretation
The UK automotive industry, now a global luxury and electric vehicle hub exporting nearly four-fifths of its output, is a study in contrasts: while electric vehicle production and premium brands like Bentley are hitting record highs, traditional engine output is declining faster than a dropped spanner, proving the sector is simultaneously racing forward and carefully shedding its old skin.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Uk Motor Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-motor-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Uk Motor Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-motor-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Uk Motor Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-motor-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
50 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level