Demand is high but Proton, like most other carmakers, cannot complete its new vehicles at the factory because crucial components are in short supply. These are the microchips which are in the many electronic systems that modern cars have; just one item not available and the vehicle cannot be completed. This situation has been ongoing since last year and has limited the number of vehicles Proton can deliver, resulting in customers having to wait longer.
The chart below shows the effects of the shortage as each month this year has seen less deliveries than the same month in 2021. By right, the numbers should be accelerating as there is strong demand but Proton can only report what it delivers, not what is in its order bank.
The carmaker reported 8,829 units (including exports) for the month of April, a decrease of 32.2% compared to the month before and 41.1% less than what was reported in April 2021. This volume is estimated to be a 15.6% share of the Total Industry Volume (TIV) in April and cumulatively for the first four months of 2022, the market share should be around 17%.
Long waiting list
Commenting on the situation, Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar, said: “After two years of pandemic-affected sales, Malaysia’s automotive market continues to show strong growth potential in 2022, as evidenced by the long waiting list for new car deliveries. Proton is also trying to catch up to market demand, but we also must acknowledge being the most affected by chip supply issues.”
“Thankfully for our customers, we have secured our supply of chips for May and June and are projecting a quick turnaround in the coming months. The situation is still uncertain for the rest of the year and the global car industry is under pressure from rising costs, but the company is working on countermeasures against these issues to ensure our customers get the best products and value in Malaysia and abroad,” he explained.
Saga remains bestseller
The Saga continued to be the bestselling Proton in April and no doubt will get a boost in demand when the updated model is launched later this month. The two SUVs – the X50 and X70 – also remain very popular with 1,554 units and 1,530 units delivered, respectively. The evergreen Exora is still tops in the MPV C-segment with its unbeatable value-for-money.
The supply situation also affects exports and in April, 456 units were sent overseas. These brought the total export volume for 2022 to 1,573 units, which is 109.7% higher than for the same period in 2021. At present, Pakistan is the biggest export market for Proton, having taken 1.050 units, followed by Egypt (172 units) and Brunei (138 units).
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