23:31 02-07-2026
Mercedes GLC Electric: supply chain, not demand, is holding the EV back
Demand is strong, but batteries shipped from China and flood-hit wiring harnesses are slowing deliveries — while the BMW iX3 pulls ahead in Europe.
The Mercedes GLC Electric finds itself in a situation that is rare for a carmaker: the demand is there, but the cars simply aren't reaching buyers fast enough. It isn't a single weak link — battery, wiring-harness and logistics delays all hit the launch at once, and the new electric crossover is losing momentum even with plenty of dealer interest.
According to figures 32CARS obtained from the brand's press office, roughly 3300 electric GLCs were registered in Europe by the end of May. That is modest for the class, especially next to the BMW iX3: the rival began deliveries only about two weeks earlier, yet has already closed in on 15,500 units sold. The gap is less about marketing — BMW has simply been quicker to turn interest into actual deliveries.
The main bottleneck for Mercedes is the batteries. They were originally meant to come from the new CATL plant in Debrecen, Hungary, but delays in certifying the site have forced Mercedes to ship cells in from China by sea. In some cases that logistics detour adds more than six weeks, and for a brand-new model that is critical: a presentation alone won't keep a customer if the car simply can't be built in the required volume.
The second blow landed on the wiring. Flooding in Morocco affected a plant run by supplier Kromberg & Schubert, and components like these can't be swapped out quickly: the harnesses are built for a specific vehicle architecture, largely by hand, with their own quality checks. Mercedes admits to difficulties at a small number of suppliers and says it is working to get supply back to normal.
The paradox is that interest in the GLC Electric remains high. Dealer sources say orders already cover a sizeable chunk of the second half of the year, with waiting times closing in on six months. For now the Bremen plant has to give priority to the combustion GLC: more than 32,000 of them were registered in Europe in the first five months. The line runs three shifts, yet the target of lifting electric GLCs to half of the plant's output now looks shaky.
For the buyer, all of this matters in very practical terms. A long queue usually narrows the room for discounts, raises the risk that the specification will change by the time the car is handed over, and makes the delivery date part of the deal itself. Anyone weighing up the GLC Electric, BMW iX3, Audi Q6 e-tron and Volvo's upcoming electric crossovers should compare not just range and charging speed, but how readily the car can actually be had from a dealer. A quick contract with no clear build date is weak insurance against disappointment.
Mercedes hasn't lost the demand — it is losing on supply-chain speed. And in the premium electric-crossover segment, half a year of waiting is already turning into a solid argument in a rival's favour.