Daimler cannot satisfy the demand for the electrified Smart EQ models and imposes an order freeze for an unlimited period. The Smart EQ thus follows the PHEV Mercedes A 250e, which also cannot be ordered.
In any case, Daimler is registering a significantly increased demand with the increased subsidy for electric cars – which the manufacturer cannot ultimately satisfy. The plug-in hybrid Mercedes A 250e had already been placed with an order freeze in front of the entire range of the Smart EQ line.
Smart: Charge via the wallbox or at the home socket. (Image: Daimler)
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Smart EQ: order freeze for all model variants
While not all model variants of the Mercedes A 250e are affected by the order freeze, Daimler is definitely not currently accepting orders for the smart vehicles, as the company confirmed to Electrive, the industry service. Afterwards, the group wrote: “As we are currently examining further availability options, we are currently not accepting any further orders for the Smart EQ models.”
That sounds like problems in the supply chain and would hit another German manufacturer, Daimler, after the VW group, which has already had to stop the belts of its electric car production several times.
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Is Daimler lacking battery cells?
At VW or its subsidiary Audi, the availability problems usually concerned the required battery cells. Audi preferred to remain unspecific in the wording and spoke to Reuters of “problems with the coordination of around 300 suppliers”. In the VW group, the decision was made to make available cell manufacturing capacities primarily for the subsidiary Porsche for their Taycan.
Car manufacturers worldwide are tackling the problem of battery shortage with very different measures. Tesla, for example, works closely with Panasonic, VW primarily relies on LG Chem, but is building its own plant in Salzgitter with the Swedish manufacturer Northvolt. The battery market is currently still very strongly dominated by Samsung and LG from South Korea and CATL from China. CATL, the main supplier for BMW, is now building a plant in Thuringia.
The new smart models come with an enlarged infotainment unit. (Image: Daimler)
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Smart EQ: Increased funding would have made vehicles highly attractive
The order stop for the Smart EQ comes at any time for prospective buyers. After all, the increased funding could have resulted in prices of around 10,000 euros, which buyers would only have to pay themselves. The YouTube channel Robin.TV had calculated that.
Matching: Electric and even smarter: Daimler shows revised smart models
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