British car production rose for a second consecutive month, climbing 6.1 percent in March, as the global shortage of semiconductors and other components eased further, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in a statement.
In March, 81,605 cars were made in Britain, taking the first-quarter output to 219,887 units – 6 percent higher than the corresponding three-month period a year earlier.
Exports drove the growth in production by British automakers, which rose 10 percent to 61,546 units and accounted for almost eight in 10 cars manufactured in March.
The strength in exports also offset a 5.1 percent decline in cars made for the U.K. domestic market.
“A second consecutive month of growth for U.K. car production gives cause for optimism, though volumes are still well below pre-pandemic levels,” SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said in the statement.
The trend of a surge in the manufacturing of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full-electric vehicles continued, with output in the segment soaring 75 percent in March, to 32,546 units.