A global shortage of the microchips used to power the automated and electronic features of vehicles has now hit production of Ford Motor Co.’s F-150 pickup truck. Both plants where F-150 is built, Dearborn Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant, will face production disruptions due to the shortage.
Detroit’s automakers are not alone in feeling the chip crunch. The shortage has caused production disruptions for automakers around the world, including Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Corp., Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG.
Experts attribute the shortage to a complex set of factors, including the Trump administration’s trade war with China, insufficient manufacturing capacity for the chips the automotive sector uses, and market forces tied to the pandemic that ultimately pitted the auto industry against consumer electronics makers that saw demand for their products grow during the pandemic.
Read the article at The Detroit News.