“Existential Threat” – SMMT Boss Mike Hawes Doesn’t Hold Back on UK Auto Industry Crisis
Some speeches are polite, PR-friendly affairs filled with vague optimism and corporate buzzwords. Not this one. Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), came out swinging at SMMT Test Day 2025 with what felt more like a rallying cry for survival than a standard industry update. “The industry faces an existential threat,” Hawes warned. And if that sounds dramatic — well, good. It should. Because the message he delivered was clear: the UK automotive sector is on a cliff edge, and we’re running out of road fast.
