Britain/ car production, lowest level in 73 years - Cause, cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover and competition from China
UK car production has fallen to its lowest level since 1951 after a cyberattack crippled Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the country's largest carmaker. A computer system outage in early September forced the company to halt all operations until early October.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the shutdown contributed to a 27% contraction in total UK car production in September compared with the same month last year. Production fell to 51,100 vehicles from 70,000 in September 2024, and for the first nine months of the year, the total was down 8%. Vans have also suffered a decline of almost 40% this year, following the closure of the Stellantis factory in Luton.
Auto industry leaders and workers had been warning for more than a year about a “low-volume manufacturing crisis” gripping the sector, even before the attack on Jaguar Land Rover. The global auto industry is facing significant pressure from growing competition from China and the investment needed to modernize factories to produce electric cars. Meanwhile, high interest rates and inflation have dampened consumer demand for new vehicles.
The cyberattack made the situation worse. According to the Cyber Monitoring Centre, a non-profit organisation, this is the most expensive attack in the history of the United Kingdom, due to the wide-ranging impact on the supply chain. The losses to the British economy are estimated at around 1.9 billion pounds.
Meanwhile, the car industry is bracing for further potential shocks if the Dutch government's move to take control of Chinese microchip company Nexperia affects parts supplies. The German car sector also warned this week that the situation could lead to "significant production restrictions in the near future" after China retaliated by banning exports of some finished products.
The decline in sales and production has brought back comparisons to the 1950s, when British citizens were still facing shortages and rationing after World War II.
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