UK Car Output Hits 70-Year Low as Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production and Tariffs Cripple Industry

Total UK car production in 2025 fell to 717,371 units—the lowest level since 1956. Including commercial vehicles, total output dropped 15.5% year-on-year to 764,715 units, returning to levels last seen in 1952. This represents a decline of more than half compared to the sector’s peak of nearly 1.7 million vehicles in 2016. Key factors behind the slump include: - A cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover last year that forced its factories to halt production for over a month; - Stellantis’ closure of its Vauxhall plant in Luton, which caused commercial vehicle output to plummet by 62%; - The U.S. raising tariffs on UK-made cars from 2.5% to 10%, severely impacting export-dependent manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, which rely on exports for 78% of their production; - Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover temporarily halting production of older models and reconfiguring assembly lines as part of their transition to electric vehicles, further weighing on short-term output.