Ford is scaling back its car production in several US cities due to persistent chip shortages. In the coming month, production will come to a standstill in six places for certain periods.
Production in Dearborn in Michigan will come to a halt for two weeks in April, American media write. Production in Kansas City will also be halted for a week. This is where the F-150 trucks, popular in America, are made. Also in four other factories, including one in Canada, the company will stop building cars for at least two weeks. It is not clear how many fewer cars could be produced as a result, but Ford previously said it would lose between 1 and 2.5 billion dollars in 2021.
The cessation of production has to do with the persistent chip shortages that are occurring worldwide. Due to the high demand for chips, there is too little supply and not enough computers, consoles and therefore cars can be built. Ford is certainly not the only car manufacturer to stop production. Audi and General Motors had to do the same. The shortages will continue for the time being, although chipmaker TSMC already indicated in January that it gives a higher priority to car manufacturers when producing new chips. However, the maker warns that the shortfalls will not be solved immediately.