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I again contacted PAG today. While they will not indicate the number of cars on the current shipment en route to the USA they did confirm that the shipment includes customer confirmed cars not just dealer demo stock.
Text as follows:
Dear Mr. Kettenbeil,
Last week you were able to confirm to me that the initial smart cars were loaded on the ship for the USA. You were also unwilling to indicate how many cars were on that load.
I would like to ask a different question that does not require you to indicate any numbers. That is: Does the initial shipment include any cars for early reservations and confirmed orders by smart car customers or does the initial shipment only include showroom and demo models for the dealers?
Anything you can share would be appreciated.
Response:
Hi Ken – there will be customer cars on the boat. We will begin deliveries in January.
Hi Ken – there will be customer cars on the boat. We will begin deliveries in January.
Ken Kettenbeil
Just what they've been telling us all along. But keep writing everybody! My guess is they are very encouraged by all the queries about their new endeavor!
Interesting response: "will be" vs. are [customer cars on the boat] indicates either the boat is not yet loaded with the cars. Not surprising having shipped a few (euro delivery) MB cars from Bremehaven the car sits in the lot and loads a day or so before the ship leaves port. The journey from that point to the dealer for pickup takes about 2 - 3 weeks. The timing all depends on when the Boat is in Bremerhaven to load - the car can sit there for quite some time.
Whether or not one trusts Mr Kettenbeil's responses his answer to me last week was that the first cars to be delivered "were on the boat". Of course he didn't say the ship had sailed or when it might but he did say they were loaded.
In the modern day maritime shipping business, cargo waits on ships; ships don't wait on cargo. A PCTC like the Wallenius liner fleet operates will only spend a matter of hours in a loading or discharge port.
In the modern day maritime shipping business, cargo waits on ships; ships don't wait on cargo. A PCTC like the Wallenius liner fleet operates will only spend a matter of hours in a loading or discharge port.
I think the French came up with the word "Demurrage". It's the name for the exhorbidant fees charged by ships when they have to sit around waiting for cargo.
There is an appointment made in the contract. Usually, if the ship is late for it, so what? If the cargo is late, well, then there is hell to pay.
Smart USA, a division of Penske Automotive Group, is distributing Smart fortwos. Daimler executives said today that 50 dealerships will be open for the Smart launch.
There will be 65 U.S. dealerships by the end of the first quarter and 74 by the end of 2008, officials said. Thirty-three of those stores will be “co-located” with Mercedes-Benz franchises, said Smart USA President David Schembri.
Nine of the dealerships are Penske-owned, said Anders Sundt Jensen, head of global marketing for Smart. He declined to predict total Smart production next year.
723 smarts on a boat /50 (who are the first 50 and who are the 15) = 14.56 cars lets assume they dropped the .56 while loading. 14 cars left, 4 to be used as demos..... that leaves 10 for each on the boat. That is 20 too few!
I think the French came up with the word "Demurrage". It's the name for the exhorbidant fees charged by ships when they have to sit around waiting for cargo.
There is an appointment made in the contract. Usually, if the ship is late for it, so what? If the cargo is late, well, then there is hell to pay.
Demurrage works both ways, though it is most often collected by the vessel. In addition to the vessel and the cargo shipper, the terminal and others are sometimes involved. There are circumstances that obviate demurrage too: "Force Majeur," "Act-of-God," "Restraint of Princes," "Riot and Insurrection," etc. If there was a problem with a consignment of pre-booked smarts delayed by the rail workers' strike it would likely be argued under "Force Majeur."
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