Imported vehicles are seriously piling up at European ports, turning them into “car parks.” Automakers and distributors are struggling with a slowdown in car sales as well as logistical bottlenecks that make it hard to alleviate the buildup of new, unsold vehicles. From the Financial Times:
"Port and car industry executives have pointed to a pile-up of Chinese electric cars as one of the leading causes of the problem, with some companies booking shipping delivery slots without ordering onward transportation. In other instances, carmakers in general are struggling to order trucks because of the lack of drivers and equipment to move the vehicles on…
“Some car industry executives said Chinese carmakers were not selling their vehicles in Europe as fast as they expected, which was a major contributor to the glut at the region’s ports. “Chinese EV makers are using ports like car parks,” said one car supply chain manager.”
In St. Louis, we have a closed shopping center where new Teslas are parked row after row. No info on what’s up but people suspect a trainload arrived from the manufacturer and are awaiting delivery throughout the area.
Thousands of Teslas are sitting idle at Australian ports as interest in electric vehicles stalls and new and more affordable options enter the Australian market. Aerial photos of a port in Melbourne highlight the dramatic shift as Teslas that once rolled off the assembly line to eager buyers now simply wait to find a home…
“All of a sudden we’ve got a huge backlog of Teslas that aren’t moving… They’ve just stoped moving,” Victorian Transport Association’s Peter Anderson told 7News. “Teslas usually come into this country pre-sold, these cars aren’t,” he added. “They’re sitting here waiting for buyers.”