The Motability Scheme has announced an ambitious new commitment: from 2035, half of all vehicles leased through the Scheme every year will be British built.
The Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for their enhanced mobility allowance. These vehicles connect disabled people to freedom and independence, enabling them to participate in society and live their lives.
The Scheme is also refocusing vehicles available on the Scheme, with premium brand cars such as BMW and Mercedes removed immediately. The Scheme will focus on vehicles that meet disabled peoples’ needs and represent value and purpose – safe, reliable and affordable to run.
The commitment to buy more British built cars reflects the Scheme’s desire to do even more to support the UK economy. Motability Operations, which runs the Motability Scheme, will work alongside the UK government and car manufacturers to deliver on the commitment. This builds on the contribution that the Scheme currently makes to the lives of disabled people while signalling strong support for the UK’s domestic automotive industry alongside the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
By increasing demand for vehicles built in Britain, the Scheme aims to strengthen domestic production and encourage new investment in the UK’s growing electric and accessible vehicle sectors. This commitment could create demand for 150,000 additional vehicles a year which could sustain additional manufacturing production facilities in the UK.
In the short term, Motability Operations will work closely with UK-based manufacturers to increase the share of British-built vehicles leased by customers, while maintaining affordability, choice and quality. This includes doubling the number of Nissan British built vehicles that the Scheme leases to around 40,000. The intention would be that 25% of cars on the Scheme would be UK-built by 2030, up from 7% today.
This long-term commitment includes the 36,500 Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) on the Motability Scheme - built by UK-based converters - along with vehicles with adaptations made by British businesses. Motability Operations works closely with converters and adaptation makers, who invest significantly in innovation and engineering to meet the needs of disabled customers.
Andrew Miller, Chief Executive of Motability Operations, said:
“The Motability Scheme makes a difference to disabled people’s lives every day and our customers tell us it is a lifeline to freedom and independence. Working with government and the automotive sector, we want to do even more to support the economy and our ambitious commitment should put British car manufacturing into top gear.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, said:
“Backing British car manufacturing will support thousands of well paid, skilled jobs and is exactly the long-term investment our Modern Industrial Strategy delivers.
“We are growing the economy to bring down debt, cut NHS waiting lists and cut the cost of living.”
James Taylor, Managing Director of Nissan GB, said:
“Nissan welcomes Motability’s commitment to buy British-built cars and its support for UK manufacturing. As a long-standing partner, we recognise the crucial role the Motability Scheme plays in helping disabled people remain mobile and independent. We look forward to working with Motability to deliver its ambitious goals.”
The Motability Scheme enables disabled people to access good value mobility – providing them with freedom and independence. In doing so, the Scheme also plays a vital role in the UK’s automotive industry - supporting 34,000 jobs in communities across the country, including 10,500 direct jobs linked to key Scheme partners such as the RAC and KwikFit.
Motability Operations will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.
The UK has the highest use of wheelchair accessible vehicles of any European country, providing 4x the volume of vehicles for each disabled user (PA Consulting analysis, Braunability data). This demonstrates Britain’s global leadership in accessible vehicle manufacturing and highlights the opportunity to expand the number of British-built vehicles that support disabled people through the Motability Scheme.
Boosting UK car manufacturing
Around 800,000 vehicles are built in the UK annually, of which the vast majority are exported and approximately 180,000 are sold in the UK.
Of these, roughly 100,000 British-built models are currently eligible for the Motability Scheme, aside from brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover which are excluded. The Scheme leases around 22,000 British built cars every year.
The Scheme currently leases around 300,000 vehicles a year, and at this rate this would mean around 150,000 British built vehicles being leased in 2035.
The Scheme wouldn’t intend to buy all eligible UK cars currently available. Manufacturers avoid being overly dependent on one purchaser and the Scheme needs a range of car models to protect against changes in used car prices.
The commitment opens the door to new investment into UK car manufacturing.
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