Toyota Motor and Hyundai Motor foresaw the situation with the global shortage of microchips for cars, so in advance they formed their strategic reserve. This allowed them to continue the release of cars without stopping, while many other companies are forced to reduce production due to lack of components, writes Reuters with reference to official representatives of companies.
The microcircuit failure is caused by the fact that the automotive industry is restored faster than expected, so the number of components calculated earlier is not enough. At the same time, for leading manufacturers of chips from Asia autocompany in the chain, there are lower than the brands of electronics like Apple and HP, so no one seeks to rewrite the production calendar. Also, the situation was influenced by a large fire, which happened in October at the Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) chip factory in the south of Japan, which ultimately led to the breakdowns of semiconductors.
Volkswagen Group, General Motors, Nissan Motor and other major manufacturers have already slowed down the release of new machines, since it is not enough for them to lack components. According to the analytical company IHS Markit, the problem may lead to a decrease in the world's car production per million units in the first quarter.
In turn, Toyota and Hyundai were begging. They were able to foresee the situation with a possible lack of chips in 2021, and therefore stored them in 2020. So, the Japanese giant declared that he had a four-month reserve chip. By the time he will be consumed, the plants for the release of electronics will already be able to increase the revolutions - and the crisis with delivery will be completed. Hyundai In the second half of the 2020, specially increased the purchase of chips, while other automakers, on the contrary, did not make the reserves of components, seeking to reduce costs against the coronavirus crisis.
Since Hyundai continued to buy chips from world suppliers like Bosch and Continental before the deficit, she managed to even save well. The principle of a market economy worked: when the chips were not needed to anyone, their price fell. As a result, the South Korean company turned out to be in double winnings: it not only acquired components at a more favorable value, but also was able to form stocks for non-stop production, the portal Drom.ru writes.
According to Reuters, Hyundai learned lessons from a diplomatic quarrel with Japan in 2019, which influenced the supply of chemicals to South Korean microcircuit manufacturers. Plus, at the beginning of the 2020, Hyundai and Kia plants had to be stopped due to lack of spare parts from the PRC.