MG Australia unaffected by semi-conductor crisis receiving first full ship of cars

MG Australia has just received its first ever full shipment of vehicles to Port Kembla in New South Wales.

The continuing fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic on global vehicle supply is not an issue for the British-turned-Chinese carmaker, a local representative has said.

While other manufacturers are scaling down or halting production to deal with a shortage of semi-conductor chips, MG continues to roll cars off its Chinese production lines as it benefits from the economies of scale within its parent company, SAIC.

A spokesperson for MG Australia told WhichCar it has locked down supply for production of its current line-up, with the models in circulation not coming under any immediate threat due to the semi-conductor crisis.

4

MG's delivery at Port Kembla is the first time the brand has been able to fill a ship with its vehicles

Earlier this week MG received its first ever full shipment of vehicles to Australia, filling the carrier Primrose Ace with 4800 cars – nearly as many vehicles as the British-branded manufacturer sold in the first half of 2020.

Onboard the ship were examples of the entire range of MG cars in Australia, from the MG3 hatchback to the ZS and HS SUVs, taking the crew two days to unload in Port Kembla before the ship carried on to Melbourne to deliver more.

According to MG, 791 of the 4800 cars will be sent to New Zealand, leaving 4009 in Australia – around 300 less than the number of MG's Australian units shifted in June, having recorded 4303 local sales last month.

4

4009 cars of the 4800 on the Primrose Ace will end up in Australian showrooms

MG was the eighth-highest selling automotive brand in Australia throughout June, with its 4303 cars sold representing a 219 per cent increase over the same month a year ago, owing to increased brand recognition and an altogether tough year for the industry in 2020.

The ZS small-SUV has undergone somewhat of a boom lately, accounting for 2073 sales in June, which was just 102 units behind the Aussie staple Toyota Corolla, a 442 per cent jump over 2020 sales.

Since June, MG has received more than 11,000 deliveries, helping it to bolster local levels of stock as various state governments begin to roll out incentives for electric vehicles, with the ZS EV earning the title of Australia's cheapest electric car at $44,990 drive-away.

4

MG was the eighth-best selling brand in Australia through June 2021