Problems in the manufacture of new cars in factories around the world are delaying the delivery of new vehicles by up to 6 months. The shortage of materials and especially of microchips is the cause of this enormous delay. That is why now is a good time to buy a second-hand and used car. In Coches Ocasión 4all we tell you the causes and we give you solutions.

Car production paralyzed

The manufacture of new cars is paralyzed worldwide but the situation in Europe and in particular in Spain is even worse. It is estimated that at the beginning of summer there was already a delay in the manufacture of new cars of more than 500,000 vehicles throughout Europe. But today that production jam could already reach one million new delayed vehicles. Both in private cars and new vans or trucks. This is causing a delay in the deliveries of the new cars of between 4 and 6 months. And the worst thing is not that, it is that all the indicators show that this situation will not be solved shortly. Optimistic estimates suggest that recovery may not come until the summer of 2022, although other estimates delay that time even further. The cause is the global shortage of microchips. These microchips are essential in today’s cars, although they also seriously affect other fields of life such as computers or the household appliances sector. volume_upcontent_copysharestar_border

The main vehicle brands are stopped

The major car brands worldwide are trying to cope with this situation, as are new car dealers of all kinds. Most have managed to save their expenses with employment flexibility measures and ERTEs applied to their workforce. For example, Seat has done this at its Martorell plant with an ERTE from September 27 to June 31, 2022. Other major brands such as Citroën, Renault or Ford have taken similar measures. But if the situation continues as expected, that does not seem to be an effective long-term solution. The most pessimistic forecasts already speak of the possibility of the closure of plants and factories for the production of cars and even some brand of vehicles could have a really bad time and consider ending their activity definitively

Delay in car delivery

When buying a new car, everyone wonders how long it will take to deliver it. Under normal conditions, that time is usually approximately 30 days, although it depends a lot on the brand and model that is purchased. But the situation now does not allow meeting those deadlines. Before the summer of 2021, the delay exceeded 3 months in the average delivery of the purchased vehicle. We are talking about the general mean time. But since the situation in the shortage of microchips and manufacturing materials has not improved in recent months, things have worsened rapidly. Currently, the average waiting time for your new car to be delivered to you is between 4 and 6 months depending on the make and model of the car. But those deadlines will be inexorably lengthened as long as the situation does not improve. Some new car brands and dealers are already exceeding the 6-month period and it is expected that it could reach 9 or 10 months on average. The concern in the automotive sector, manufacturers and sellers of new cars is evident. The situation is expected to last until the summer of 2022. volume_upcontent_copysharestar_border

Solutions to the delay in the manufacture of vehicles

The only possible global solution to this situation is to improve the supply of michochips and materials. It is estimated that more than 130,000 cars have not been assembled due to lack of materials, and that only in Spain. The situation is especially serious in Spain since our country is the second largest car producer in Europe and the eighth worldwide. And also because the new car manufacturing sector in Spain already suffered greatly from the effects of the pandemic in 2020. But the long-term situation is even more complete. At the European level, the demand for michochips for the automotive sector reaches almost 40% of the total demand for these components. The dependency is huge. And the reality is that Europe depends on the supply of microchips from China and Taiwan. Although the European Commission has already taken measures to move towards European self-sufficiency, this will take time to come. His intention is for the European Union to increase its own microchip production between now and 2030 and go from a 9% world share to 20%. But this will require a large investment and of course, time. Ultimately, in the short term, we will continue to depend heavily on the Asian market. volume_upcontent_copysharestar_border

Buying a used car: it’s a good time

The only sector that is not suffering from this crisis in the sector is the market for second-hand cars and used vehicles. In fact, it is the most viable and fastest personal solution to the current situation. The delivery times of this type of used car and second-hand car is almost immediate. To this advantage must be added the additional advantages that a second-hand car or a used car already has. Its price is much cheaper than that of a new car. And second-hand cars depreciate less in value than new cars. If we add to these two great advantages the enormous reduction in vehicle delivery times, you can imagine that right now, it is the best situation in this situation. In Coches Ocasión 4all we can offer you all kinds of used cars and second-hand cars quickly. We also offer you the purchase of your second-hand vehicle, whether you buy one from us or not !!