Car production in the Czech Republic dropped in September as the local automotive industry is yet to recover from the losses caused by spring production halts. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 most automakers had announced plant closures. In the first three quarters, car production dropped by 24pc from the prior year, according to the Automotive Industry Association (AIA). Almost 810,000 vehicles were produced during the Jan-Sep period.
Škoda Auto’s output dropped by 20pc during Jan-Sept, while Hyundai’s production lowered by 30.5pc in the same period. Škoda is the country’s largest car producer.
In September, Czech factories produced 119,722 passenger cars, 5pc lower than in September 2019, according to AIA data.
AIA president Bohdan Wojnar said that the decline has slowed down compared to the spring months, reflecting a gradual recovery in demand for new cars in the EU and other parts of the world. He anticipated an upturn in the situation soon.
In the first three quarters, exports of cars fell by 25pc to 737,457 units from the prior year, while domestic sales declined by 12pc to 72,391 vehicles.
The Czech auto industry seeks support from the government to offset the impact of the pandemic and avoid major losses to downstream local industries.