The scarcity of microchips limits car manufacturing

Last week, automakers cut 76,000 vehicles from global manufacturing plans, in line with analysts. The company says it will produce about 3.23 million fewer vehicles than expected this year.

In the past, only the most expensive cars contained microchips. Even cheap, low-tech cars can now accommodate dozens of tiny microprocessors.

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, demand for brand new cars plummeted as governments around the world enacted measures to limit the spread of the virus. Automakers are reining in orders for microchips, and auto manufacturing is expected to slow for several months. This is Glenair-448HS130NF2109S115.

But chip factories have not suffered as much as car factories. The client ordered new electronic products for the convenience of the teachers working and attending school in the residence.

Pent-up demand for brand new cars surged when the coronavirus pandemic was brought under control. Carmakers are trying to centralise orders for brand new chips. Chip factories are working at full capacity, but cannot keep up with demand from manufacturers.

To complicate matters, consumer demand for smart cars has not followed suit. In August, 17.5 percent of recent purchases were luxury cars.

The world's microchip manufacturing industry is starting to recover.

Research by SusquehannaMonetaryGroup shows that chipmakers placed more orders in August than in July.

The different industries that use chips are booming. Analyst ChrisRolland said consumer demand for smartphones has slowed, easing pressure on chip suppliers.

Tom Candy, chief currency officer at Dell Applied Sciences, said the availability chain for private computer systems was "working better as historically normal" this month.

Traders believe the chip market is heading lower, with the Philadelphia Inventory Market Semiconductor Index down more than 36 percent year to date.

If chip manufacturing is recovering, why are carmakers still cutting back?

Because the high-end chips used in computer systems and mobile phones don't meet automakers' requirements.

Cars are now suffering from older, low-power microchips that perform simple functions. Automakers have to go through a rigorous qualification process to determine which chips to use. They will not simply replace more advanced chips with older ones that have passed security tests.

Chipmakers will only switch their foundries from making high-end computer chips to making cheap chips for cars, which is actually the most valuable option, so change comes slowly.

Once it does, it takes time to fill orders. "A typical semiconductor production line can contain 700 manufacturing steps in 14 weeks," notes Mohit Sharma, a procurement and supply chain professional based mainly in India who advises Fortune 500 companies.

Chip makers are trying to expand manufacturing capacity. However, opening a new factory is a long process.

Intel unveiled plans in January last year to build two new microprocessor plants in Ohio. They are not likely to produce the first working chip until sometime in 2026.

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