The latest numbers on the microchip shortage: Cuts keep coming for North America, Europe
About 56,700 more vehicles were lost to the semiconductor shortage last week. But there are signs that the situation is improving.
in Automotive News, by John Irwin, 26-03-2023
Automakers cut 56,700 vehicles from their global production plans last week because of the microchip shortage, according to the latest estimate by AutoForecast Solutions.
About 30,500 of those cuts were from production schedules at European assembly plants, with North American factories accounting for the rest.
While the losses are another sign the global semiconductor shortage is far from over, there are indications the situation is improving. Automakers have axed about 771,300 vehicles this year, a significant improvement from the 1.25 million vehicles that were cut at this point in 2022.
“Europe and especially North America continue to see lower output due to a lack of chips, but more plants are keeping lines rolling by focusing the existing chip supply into more profitable vehicles and eliminating some vehicle features,” Sam Fiorani, AutoForecast Solutions vice president of global vehicle forecasting, wrote in an email.
North American plants have accounted for about 65 percent of global production losses so far this year, with those in Europe responsible for 21 percent.
THE BREAKDOWN
| 2023 YEAR TO DATE | 2023 PROJECTED | |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 504 500 | 1 112 600 |
| Europe | 164 500 | 845 800 |
| Rest of Asia * | 21 500 | 539 900 |
| China * | 70 400 | 188 100 |
| South America * | 7 200 | 121 900 |
| Middle East/Africa * | 3 200 | 19 800 |
| Total | 771 300 | 2 828 100 |
| *Unchanged from a week earlier | ||
Source: AutoForecast Solutions Inc. autoforecastsolutions.com