Emerging markets 'will play vital role for car manufacturing'

Date: 1/8/2011

Brazil, Russia, India and China could play an increasingly important role within the automobile supply chain thanks to rising demand for vehicles.

Such is the belief of Jonathan Visscher, spokesperson for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, who says that the emerging economies are responsible for buying many of the exports from the UK.

He adds that cars such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Bentley are seen as status symbols overseas and particularly in China.

"Demand over there for those is very strong. Those emerging markets are an important part of what makes the UK mix, with 75 per cent of vehicles we make here exported in a typical month," Mr Visscher explains.

Meanwhile, low-carbon automobiles are proving themselves to be a "fairly global phenomenon" in the commentator's opinion.

The UK has just made further progress in establishing itself as a leader in green cars, after Ecotricity launched charging units for electric vehicles at motorway service stations across the country.

Posted by Nick Anderson