Mercedes-Benz sales decline in Q2 due to supply issues

Mercedes-Benz sales dropped significantly in the second quarter due to supply issues and lockdowns in China because of coronavirus, according to the German automaker.

From April to June, the auto manufacturer delivered 490,000 passenger cars, a 16 per cent decrease from the same period in 2017.

Sales for its Cars division fell by 16 per cent for a total of 998,000 deliveries in the first half of 2022.

China, the largest single market, saw the biggest decline in second-quarter sales, falling by 25 per cent to 163,700 vehicles, according to the automaker.

Sales in the Asia-Pacific region decreased by 20 per cent, primarily as a result of lockdown measures, while sales in Europe fell by 10 per cent and in North America by 3 per cent during the quarter.

Mercedes-Benz is still expecting mildly higher sales in 2022 than in 2021, according to a spokesperson. Sales director Britta Seeger stated that “customer demand remains high” despite worries about rising inflation.

Seeger revealed that popular luxury models include the Maybach and the EQ model series of electric vehicles.

According to the German manufacturer, 100,000 units of the more affordable Mercedes-Benz Vans were sold globally in the second quarter, just below the same period last year.