Over the past week, 96,300 vehicles were cut from production plans worldwide because of the microchip shortage, according to AutoForecast Solutions.
So far this year, about 1.25 million vehicles have been removed from factory schedules worldwide, according to AFS, which has monitored the chip shortage’s impact on vehicle assembly since last year.
Most of the recent factory cuts occurred at European auto plants, where 79,100 cars and trucks were trimmed from plans. Another 14,200 vehicles were cut in North America, with smaller reductions reported elsewhere.
Manufacturers have been prioritizing hot-selling and high-margin models to receive semiconductors, but the chip shortage continues to impact even those vehicles. GM said last week that it will halt production of light-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups for two weeks because of the shortage.
This month, Toyota Motor Corp. said it will cut its global production plan for April to 750,000 vehicles, down from a previous target of 900,000. The company said the move would make its production schedules “more reasonable in line with recent realities.”
