Mercedes-Benz is still feeling the effects of the global semiconductor shortage that has hit the auto industry as well as supply chain constraints. According to a PTI report, the carmaker is not expecting the situation to improve in 2022, while also saying that it was hard to predict how it will change in the future.
Talking to PTI, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Martin Schwenk said that the company is not only dealing with semiconductor shortage but also dealing with congestion in shipping. He said the company was facing significant supply constraints, putting a cap on the number of cars it could own and causing long waiting periods for its customers. Schwenk also revealed that global economic uncertainties and political tensions have worsened over the past few months, raising a lot of questions in small-to-medium terms about economic conditions.
Mercedes still has a few launches lined up for India in 2022 including the all-electric EQS flagship sedan and the EQB SUV.
Schwenk, however, said that while the brand was facing uncertainty over its production levels, global economic uncertainties and geopolitical crisis had not yet affected consumer sentiment in India. The carmaker said that it currently has over 5,000 pending orders in the country and the number of bookings continues to rise.
However, he added that the company was forced to hike prices on several occasions over the past few months due to rising costs and the company was continuing to monitor issues such as inflation and pricing.
Mercedes has some big launches for India in the coming months, including its all-electric flagship, the EQS luxury sedan and the EQB electric SUV. Earlier in the year, the carmaker revealed its plans to launch 10 new models in India in 2022 which so far includes the new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and the new-gen C-Class.