In 2021, a year earlier, at the date mentioned in the previous day's press inquiries, the Japanese automobile manufacturer recruited a 3,500 employee in Swindon, South West England, where 150,000 Civic models are manufactured annually for the global market.
The official announcement by the company does not mention that the decision would be related to the termination of British EU membership at the end of March (Brexit). Ian Howells, vice president of Honda's European business, said on BBC radio on Tuesday that the closure of the UK plant was not linked to Brexit, a step ahead of the global challenges facing the automotive industry.
According to Howells - and the official announcement on Tuesday - Honda needs to shift the focus to the production of electric cars very quickly, on the one hand due to changes in customer needs and on the other hand the regulatory environment.
"We have always believed that Brexiten will somehow get through, but we need to respond to these global changes," added the company's European vice president.
However, Honda has repeatedly warned the British government about the potential risks of unregulated Brexit production.
The company has recently announced that it will shut down production in its UK plant for six days in April, so that the factory in Swindon can prepare for possible logistics and border control problems, in particular any delay in delivery of incoming components.
The company experts shortly before the London House of Commons heard that the company's UK plant arrives every seven minutes with components from EU suppliers, and there is only a day-to-day production stock in the warehouses.
According to Honda officials, if component imports from the European Union were to be subjected to customs clearance due to Brexit without any agreement, the resulting quarterly delay of the supply process would result in a cumulative loss of 850,000 pounds (nearly 310 million forints) for the company. because.
Two weeks ago, another Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan, announced that, unlike its original plans, it will not start producing its new X-Trail model in Sunderland, England.
