Some Ukrainian suppliers have managed to continue operating during the war, but Russia’s invasion of the country has left many automakers without access to components they need.
“The good news is some suppliers are still operating, and some have restarted,” Schuster said. “There is some flow coming out. But overall, it’s the proximity that’s really left [the German operations] exposed.”
VW Group, in particular, has been hurt by the supply chain disruptions. LMC estimates that five VW plants lost more than 10,000 units of planned production during March, and three of those had to cut more than 20,000 vehicles.
Schuster cautioned that predictions are difficult amid the war’s uncertainties, but LMC anticipates that Germany’s automakers will see April production levels faring better than March.
