Microchip shortages are surging again this week and North American factories are taking the worst of it, according to the latest estimate by AutoForecast Solutions.
Worldwide, more than 180,000 vehicles will be cut from production schedules this week, the largest jump reported recently by AFS. About 100,400 of them will be dropped from North American plants.
So far this year, North American factories have been forced to cut 1.06 million vehicles out of their schedules because of inadequate chips, according to AFS’ ongoing tallies. That number pushes North America ahead of the European industry as the most impacted region in the chip supply crisis this year. About 1.04 million vehicles have been slashed this year in Europe, but plants there are anticipating no further cuts this week.
While supply chain issues are likely to continue for the rest of the year, an expected slowdown in the global economy “should improve” the availability of semiconductors, Josh Shastal, AFS director of vehicle forecasting, said in an email.
(Source: AutoForecast Solutions Inc.)