There were already difficulties in renting a car last year and tourism has not yet fully recovered due to the mobility restrictions still in place internationally due to covid. So in the face of this summer, when everything shows that pre-pandemic levels will be reached again, the problem could be serious. That is, the sector companies in the province are faced with the summer season. only 60% of their fleet, because production delays prevent them from powering up. The result, and this is also acknowledged by the companies themselves, is that from July onwards it will be very difficult to meet all demand in the context of rising rates. The concern is real, to the point that the Consumers and Users Organization (OCU) recommends. make car reservations as far in advance as possible.
The lack of microchips and other components is causing auto production to slow down in a process that affects not only private buyers but also companies dedicated to car rentals. This is currently estimated by Mauro Derqui, Head of Car Rental Cooperation of the Community of Valencia and Murcia (Aecoval), although there is no specific data. Companies in the industry operating in the province of Alicante can count on about 70,000 carsThis is only 60% of what was normal before the pandemic broke out. “We are having a hard time growing our fleets because there are no vehicles. Some of the strongest companies resort to imports, while others prefer to keep the vehicles they have on lease. These measures solve the problem,” he complains.
It is possible to meet demand at the moment, but Derqui already foresees it. Between 15 July and 15 SeptemberThere will be serious complications, coinciding with the strongest moment of the tourism campaign. It can be foreseen that the first segment to be exhausted will be the segment corresponding to small vehicles, and then problems will arise in the intermediate segments.
Another consequence of this shortage of vehicles will be higher rates. The head of the industry association states that the increase will be between 10% and 15%, although it adds to the 40% already rising last year. “As far as my company is concerned – she explains – we will give discounts to our regular customers. We make them more expensive online. do not run out of cars“.
Diego Villagordo, director of operations of Centauro company, points out that tourism indicators are very positive and therefore demand for vehicles that collide with a lack of availability will increase. “The current fleet – it shows – is not at 2019 levels. Due to the lack of parts, the war in Ukraine and the conversion of production lines to electric vehicles, brands are struggling to produce cars. We recommend our customers to book as soon as possible to ensure availability”.
Even though the vacation plan isn’t fully closed yet, it’s exactly what the OCU is proposing, according to the organization. many companies offer flexible cancellation policiesfree up to two days before the start of the scheduled rental, especially when the contract is made through the website.
Registrations fell 13% again in May
The decline in enrollments in the province of Alicante is steady. In May, there was a decrease of 13.04% compared to the same month of the previous year, when 4,041 vehicles were sold and 4,647 vehicles were sold. In the accumulated since the beginning of the year, the decrease was 14.09% with 12,404 registrations compared to 14,554 last year.
From the National Association of Vehicle Dealers (Ganvam), he stressed that sales continue to be 30% below pre-pandemic levels and that although individuals are slowly starting to receive pending deliveries for more than six months, they continue without having enough vehicles. supply to rental companies.