The SMMT, which represents the main carmakers in the UK automotive sector, said the Ukraine crisis was exacerbating parts supply challenges caused by the semiconductor shortage and the war in Ukraine. Manufacturers are facing an increasingly challenging economic environment with rising energy costs and other inflationary factors.

“Two years after the start of the pandemic, automotive production is still suffering badly, with nearly 100,000 units lost in the first quarter,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT. “Recovery has not yet begun and, with a backdrop of an increasingly difficult economic environment, including escalating energy costs, urgent action is needed to protect the competitiveness of UK manufacturing. We want the UK to be at the forefront of the transition to electrified vehicles, not just as a market but as a manufacturer so action is urgently needed if we are to safeguard jobs and livelihoods.”