The microchip crisis is getting worse and worse, reaching an almost unsustainable level for brands. Some have units manufactured pending the installation of a microprocessor, while others do not even have a production date. A situation that particularly affects plug-in and electric hybrids.
Just a few days ago, the head of Audi signaled a record year for sunk losses due to the microchip crisis. Some market analysts already point to some losses that will exceed 210,000 million euros, to which are added the enormous delays in deliveries.
The vast majority have tried to manage the situation, cutting technologies in certain more basic models, and leaving them only for those with more profit margin. A strategy with a clear advantage for brands but not for customers, who are forced to opt for the more equipped versions. And, worst of all, the price of new cars is increasing, as is the price of second-hand cars, at the same time that discounts are fading more and more.
Electric and plug-in hybrids suffer the most from the shortage of microchips
German industry sources point out that delivery delays are taking three to six months, a time that depends on the make and model, and that in the case of Premiums it varies between nine months and one year. Stefan Reindl, Director of the Geislingen Institute in Germany, notes that “The problem of long delivery times could get worse in the fall of 2021 and well into the spring of 2022.” The situation has reached a level where component suppliers such as Continental have created working groups with manufacturers searching the world market the microprocessors that are needed.
And although the vast majority correspond to different connectivity or comfort systems, the truth is that sustainable mobility models are the ones that are experiencing the greatest problems. In this sense, Reindl argues that «plug-in hybrid and electric cars are particularly susceptible to long delivery timesas they rely more on semiconductor elements than combustion engine vehicles for both driving control and assistance and communication systems. ‘
In the opinion of another German industry expert, Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center for Automotive Management, already points to a reduction in sales by 12% worldwide, and by 15% in Germany. The German indicates that deliveries will be delayed especially in the smallest models on the market, since the entry of semiconductors in stocks will be destined to the higher-priced models. Ola Källenius, the CEO of Daimler, has already pointed out that expect an improvement in the situation towards the end of next year, close to 2023.