The chip crisis has impacted heavily on the auto market in recent months. Builders who were trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic were forced to review production plans due to the lack of car components. The lower production and therefore also the lower sales have different market balances have also changed. As Automotive News Europe reports, Mercedes has lost the “crown” of the best-selling premium brand in the world.
In fact, for the first time in 5 years, BMW overtook Mercedes in sales. More specifically, the Munich-based company sold 2.2 million cars in 2021. Mercedes, on the other hand, “stopped” at 2.05 million. It is worth noting that the numbers relate to BMW and Mercedes as individual car manufacturers. The cars of the brands of the respective Groups were not included in the count. So, MINI and Rolls-Royce for BMW and smart and Daimler Trucks for Mercedes.
The main reason for the “overtaking” of the Munich house is precisely the chip crisis. Mercedes says that 2021 sales fell by 5% overall. Only in the last quarter volumes fell by 25% due to the problem of supplying components.
The car manufacturers prioritized the production of vehicles with higher margins during this difficult period and Mercedes said deliveries increased significantly for the S-Class (40%) and high-end vehicles from Maybach (51%) and Mercedes-AMG (17%). Mercedes said it has received 16,370 orders for its EQS all-electric luxury sedan.
And speaking of 2022, Mercedes makes it known that the impact of the semiconductor supply problem will also continue in the coming quarters both in terms of production and in terms of sales. A year that, therefore, will still be complicated and full of unknowns. Over the next few months, we will see how it goes and whether the chip crisis eases, allowing car manufacturers to make up for the ground lost in 2021.
For the analyzes, if supplies were to return to normal, it would be possible to see a “rebound” with a strong increase in production and therefore in deliveries.
