British car production plunges to a 70-year low after crippling cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover

Car production slumped to a near-70-year low last month in the wake of the crippling cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover, industry figures revealed.

Just over 59,000 vehicles rolled off UK production lines in October, down 23.8 per cent on a year earlier, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It was the worst October for the industry since 1956.

The slump triggered fresh criticism of the Government’s new pay-per-mile levy on electric vehicles – with the SMMT branding it ‘the wrong measure at the wrong time’. 

The UK car industry was plunged into crisis when JLR, the country’s biggest carmaker, was hit by hackers at the end of August, forcing it to close down its factories for five weeks.

The company, owned by India’s Tata Motors, only resumed production in early October having failed to build a single car in September.

Around 1,000 vehicles a day usually roll off JLR production lines in the West Midlands and Merseyside and the pause left its suppliers in limbo. 

Halted: Around 1,000 vehicles a day usually roll off JLR production lines in the West Midlands (pictured) and Merseyside and the pause left its suppliers in limbo

There were fears that small firms producing parts for the car giant could collapse without financial support. 

Mike Hawes, the SMMT chief executive, said the crisis was felt across the car industry.

He added: ‘Growth is on the horizon, however, and government has recognised the automotive industry as a pillar of national strategic importance.

‘Investment competitiveness also depends on a healthy domestic market, however, notably for EVs, and introducing a new electric vehicle excise duty is the wrong measure at the wrong time. 

This new tax will undermine demand, so government must work with industry to reduce the cost of compliance and protect the UK’s investment appeal.’

The SMMT figures showed almost half of October’s output was electrified – battery electric, plug-in hybrid or hybrid models.

Car production for the UK market fell by 10.6 per cent to 13,785 units, while output for export declined by 27.1 per cent.

The SMMT said 45,225 cars were produced for global markets – representing more than three quarters of total output.

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