Electric Smart production faced with ‘bottleneck’

Due to high demand, the waiting period to get an electric-powered Smart gets longer and longer. According to Automobilwoche the time between order and delivery has reached a level of up to one year.

Within six months, the current model has been more often ordered than its predecessor in the years 2013 and 2014 together. Smart CEO Annette Winkler says that they are working hard to ramp up production.

By 2020, Daimler subsidiary Smart shall become an electric-only brand, as reported. Moreover, the brand seeks to produce and offer its electric models in China, too.

However, Smart is not the only German manufacturer currently fighting with a ‘bottleneck’ regarding production. Volkswagen is facing difficulties, too: Due to lacking capacities, the carmaker is not able to produce as many E-Golf and E-Up models as demanded, according to VW’s brand manager Herbert Diess.

Both examples show what experts are criticising all along: Electric mobility does not lack demand but supply. Regarding the eSmart, Daimler has simply bet on too low quantities.
automobilwoche.de, heise.de (both in German)