Benjamin Peter, edited by Margaux Baralon 07:08, September 06, 2021
To buy a new vehicle this year, it is better to plan ahead.
Shortages of electronic components cause significant delays.
And buyers, faced with extended delivery times, are increasingly turning to the second-hand market.
REPORTING
"Yesterday, I received a customer for a seven-seater vehicle. There are none available. If I order before tonight, delivery is scheduled for December. Maybe for Santa's Day ... "Raymond Vié is exhausted.
This Peugeot dealership in the center of Toulouse experiences the same thing every time: customers arrive, order a new car, then are discouraged by the delivery times.
The fault is a shortage of electronic components, which causes significant delays.
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"We are far from China, Japan and Korea," continues Raymond Vié.
"But it all comes from there, so we are dependent" on what is happening in these countries.
The cars are well and truly built, but "electronic components such as the computer, the remote control are missing ..."
Decrease of sales
The shortage is such that the Stellantis group has announced the extension of the temporary closure of its Rennes plant and of a production line in Sochaux.
The Toyota firm had to temporarily close 13 sites, including that of Onnaing, in the North.
At the end of the chain, Raymond Vié noticed a drop in sales.
"We take purchase orders, we set the delivery deadlines but [they] are not respected. We are obliged to reimburse the deposits."
The dealer anticipates an overall drop in sales of around 30%. "It's colossal," he laments. Because many customers in a hurry are turning to models that are less in demand, sometimes less popular but available immediately. Or to the second-hand market, which is doing well but could also quickly be overtaken by demand.