The production of a new car consists of a supply chain. When ordering a new car, it is therefore possible that a longer delivery period may be required. You may have to wait several weeks or months for your new car. Why there may be delays in the delivery of new cars?
Delivery situation due to semiconductor supply bottleneck December 2021
A significant shortage of semiconductor capacity is causing various supply bottlenecks in many industries around the world (consumer electronics, computers, automotive, telecommunications, etc.).). Due to the increasing demand for electronic work equipment (z.B. remote workplaces in the home office) and consumer electronics on the one hand, and the recovering automotive markets on the other, this has also led to supply and delivery bottlenecks in the automotive industry since the turn of the year. The consequence are industry-wide adjustments in the automobile production, from which also the marks VW, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, CUPRA and VW commercial vehicles are affected. In cars, semiconductors are an important part of the complex control units.
At least the 1. Half of 2022 will remain very volatile and challenging due to ongoing supply bottlenecks of microchips. The situation has been exacerbated by the snowstorms in Texas in February, as major chipmakers there have had to halt or reduce production, a fire at a Japanese chipmaker in March, the shipwreck in the Suez Canal in April, and renewed covid-19 outbreaks in Asia this summer, resulting in factory closures by semiconductor manufacturers.
The Volkswagen Group is working hard to find solutions with suppliers and to ensure that the order backlog is processed as quickly as possible. AMAG is also in ongoing negotiations with the Group regarding vehicle quotas.
Which brands and models are affected by the supply bottleneck depends on the current availability of semiconductors at the individual production sites. For more information, please contact your garage company. As the situation is always changing, we ask for your understanding if no exact information on delivery times can be given.
Each new vehicle is first developed and researched in a long process. Once the prototype has been successfully implemented, the next step is mass production. First of all, however, the number of vehicles required for each sales market is checked for each vehicle model before production starts.
How long does it take for a vehicle to go from development to sale??
As a general rule, after the launch of a model is before the launch of a new model. That means, hardly a product is on the market, already again the development of the next generation begins. Depending on the depth of development, i.e. what is being renewed on the vehicle, this process can take from 36 months to approx. take up to five years. In addition to pure vehicle development, the test phase and production development are also added afterwards.
During this time, the manufacturers reach the importers and national companies. The number of models required for each market is then discussed with those responsible for importing the brands. This estimation is based, for example, on the experience of the sales figures of the previous model or similar models with the same motorization. If a brand launches a completely new type of vehicle on the market, it is somewhat more difficult to assess future purchasing behavior on the brand’s own market, because instead of being based on empirical values, this is e.B. must be based on market trends and buyer studies.
Based on the inputs from all sales countries, the manufacturer now plans production – i.e. the total expected sales of the model in question. Accordingly, he orders the components from his suppliers, because these have to be produced in advance so that the planned launch date of the vehicle model can be met.
How long it usually takes to deliver from the factory to the dealer?
This depends on the production location. While cars produced in Wolfsburg can be delivered to Switzerland within a week after leaving "counting point 8" – the final inspection – the transport of a vehicle from Mexican production alone takes several weeks. From the factory to the port, then across the sea to Emden. And from there mostly on the train then to Switzerland.
How long does the production of a vehicle take in the factory?
The pure production time varies depending on the production type. While a Golf is assembled in around 14 hours, an Audi with Audi exclusive customization can take well over a week to complete. Not included here are the production times of the components that are delivered to the assembly line by suppliers.
Why do long delivery times sometimes occur despite this good planning??
If it happens – and this is especially the case with new vehicle types – that a product suddenly booms in several countries, the estimate made months ago by the dealer representatives regarding demand is too low. This excess demand exceeds the number of vehicles in the production plan and production can no longer keep up. The entire supply chain is delayed, because the components from the suppliers also have to be ordered in advance.
However, the production of a car takes time. Of course, the manufacturers try to compensate for the high demand. Additional suppliers can be used for the pre-production of the components. But they also have to pre-produce the components. And every manufacturer’s plant has a maximum space capacity and labor resources cannot be utilized to the point of overload either.
Therefore it can happen that, just at the moment when you buy a new vehicle, this supply chain is already overloaded. The delivery time for new cars is then correspondingly longer.
A truck transport with new ŠKODA vehicles is unloaded at the AMAG vehicle logistics center in Studen
How does my car get to Switzerland??
Before a new car of the VW, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA or VW Commercial Vehicles brands is received by the dealer, the vehicle arrives in Switzerland by rail or truck via AMAG’s vehicle logistics center in Lupfig (AG).
How can a long delivery time of new cars be circumvented?
The quickest way to own a new car is to choose a preconfigured car on display at the dealership, which pretty much matches the equipment of the desired car. Or buying a vehicle that has already been ordered by the dealer and is currently still in transit, but will arrive in Switzerland shortly.
With the self-configured vehicle an absolute answer is not possible. Basically, the less extras configured here, the faster it is delivered. But even this rule has an exception: If an additional equipment is much more popular than expected, it can happen that there is a shortage of supply. Even then patience is needed for the delivery of new cars.