What’s happened to the UK Motor Industry?
Plates4less presented a poll as part of a Facebook campaign targeting men and women over 18 with an interest in motor vehicles and politics and attracted almost 4000 responses. As a result, they discovered a range views regarding what might be affecting the UK’s once-flourishing motor industry.
While not everyone agreed on the reasons for the motor industry’s decline, many confirmed there was a common reluctance to purchase new these days, whether it be due to cost, environmental concerns, or a desire to wait for newer, different options. There was agreement, too, that the issue is a complex one unlikely to be the result of one factor alone.
• According to 38.5% of the results, new government regulations were the most significant factor. Regulations concerning diesel, for example, means fewer people are buying vehicles relying on such fuel.
• 14.3% blamed Brexit, with companies moving their operations out of the UK to avoid expensive import tariffs and delays.
• 7% specified it was the uncertainty surrounding a Brexit deal that was damaging the industry, with expensive contingency plans prepared in case of an unsatisfactory deal.
• 11.6% of those taking part in the poll suggested wider global economic issues were responsible as other countries within the EU are also suffering poor sales.
• 9.4% claimed that cars last longer now, so there is less of a need to replace them, thus less demand.
• 18.3% selected 'other' as their answer, with many noting the development of electric cars as a factor affecting the sales of petrol and diesel vehicles.
• Less than 1% stated they did not know what might be affecting the UK’s motor industry.
There was also a great deal of conversation within the Facebook thread, with other possibilities suggested and discussed, some of it rather passionately!
For the full article and discussion of our results, including result graphs, please go to https://www.plates4less.co.uk/news/2019/brexit-impact-motor-ind-poll.html
Note for journalists: when using this material for an article, please also include a link to our news page at https://www.plates4less.co.uk/news/