Alarming slowdown in vehicle manufacturing in Spain with almost 20% drop in November

The situation for electric vehicles is even more serious. So far this year, production has fallen by nearly 30 per cent

Patxi Fernández

Madrid

Friday, 20 December 2024, 17:27

The annual balance of vehicle production and exports is taking its toll on Spanish factories, which so far this year, and especially in November, have been affected by the drop in sales in the European market.

According to official figures released this week by the manufacturers' association Anfac, vehicle production in November fell by 18.1 per cent to 214,764 units. The annual balance, with December still to be calculated, shows a decrease of 3.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. Vehicle exports last month amounted to 189,064 units, a decrease of 4.4 per cent so far this year.

One of the key factors is the low demand from European markets, which is driving the production of electrified vehicles down by 28.8 per cent so far this year.

According to Anfac, November's fall is due to mismatches in the last months of the year 2023, which altered the monthly evolution of the production series. Likewise, the 'Dana' storm at the end of October this year had consequences on the supply processes, affecting production in some factories.

López-Tafall, director general of Anfac, said, "Despite the fact that November has been affected by the Dana or the comparison with an a typical month in 2023, production reflects a reality: if there is not enough demand, manufacturing suffers." In this regard, he said the situation for electric vehicles is even more serious. So far this year, production has fallen by nearly 30 per cent, which for López-Tafall is a symptom that "either effective measures are taken to stimulate the market, in Spain and in Europe, or we will be left behind in the race for electric vehicles".

The total number of vehicles produced in Spain in the first eleven months of the year is 2,237,299, which implies a fall of 3.1 per cent. By type of vehicle, passenger car production fell by 13.5 per cent compared to November last year, to 174,609, but the annual balance remains stable with a growth of 0.4 per cent in these eleven months, reaching 1,807,524 units.

Zero- and low-emission vehicles

Production of zero- and low-emission vehicles (electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, conventional hybrids, natural gas and LPG) increased by 20.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2023, with a total of 579,493 units. Specifically, 63,226 vehicles were manufactured in November, representing 29.4 per cent of the production share.

The most significant growth in production last November was in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which increased by 99.5 per cent and accounted for 21.9 per cent of total production.

The share of electrified vehicle production in November reached only 5.2 per cent of total production, a decrease of 5.1 percentage points compared to the same period in 2023. In total, 11,215 electrified vehicles were produced, which represents a 58.7 per cent decrease compared to November last year. If we take into account the cumulative data for 2024, this decrease stands at 28.8 per cent, with a total of 190,888 models produced.

The biggest drop was in commercial vehicles, where production fell by 33.6 per cent in the last month, with 40,155 units, bringing the production figure since January to 429,775, 15.6 per cent less than in the same period of 2023.

Exports also fall

In terms of exports, a total of 189,064 units were shipped out of our borders in November, which indicates a 19.9 per cent reduction compared to the same month in 2023. In any case, the weight of exports continues to be a strategic pillar for Spanish plants, as almost 90 per cent of the vehicles manufactured this year have been destined for the foreign market.

Europe is once again in first place with 94.3 per cent of vehicle shipments in November, an increase of 3.4 percentage points compared to the same period in 2023. By country, France continues to lead the ranking, followed by Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Also of note in the month's export records was the 594.7 per cent increase in exports to Israel.

Top 50

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para suscriptores.

Reporta un error en esta noticia