Category: Carmakers

Ukraine Invasion Hampers Wire Harness Supplies for Carmakers

Carmakers including Germany’s Volkswagen, BMW and Porsche are struggling to obtain crucial wire harnesses as suppliers in western Ukraine have been shuttered by the Russian invasion, forcing them to curtail production. Production of the part, needed for organizing miles of vehicle cables, has affected suppliers like Leoni, Fujikura and Nexans, and rippled through to major…


Foreign Carmakers Interested in Ford Plant in India: State Minister

CHENNAI—Foreign automakers have indicated an interest to the government of India’s Tamil Nadu state in acquiring Ford Motor Co.’s plant there, the state industries minister said on Thursday, after inconclusive talks with the Tata Group. Ford announced plans to stop production in India in September, as it did not see a path to profitability there….


Carmakers Get Inventive as Global Chip Crisis Bites

MUNICH—Whether buying computer chips directly from manufacturers, reconfiguring cars, or producing them with parts missing, automakers are having to get creative to cope with the global shortage of semiconductors. The shortage, due to supply problems and a surge in demand for consumer electricals during the pandemic, has hit the auto industry hard, with millions of…


Japanese Carmakers’ Chinese Sales Tumble in October

BEIJING—Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., and Toyota Motor Corp.’s sales in China tumbled again in October as a microchip shortage hit vehicle production in the world’s biggest car market. Honda said it sold 148,377 vehicles in China last month, down 18 percent from a year earlier, while Nissan said it sold 113,876…


Global Supply Constraints Deal Heavy Blow to Japanese Firms

TOKYO—A global parts and chip shortage is taking a heavy toll on Japanese firms with seven out of eight automakers seeing global output drop in September, casting doubt over the central bank’s view the impact of supply constraints will be temporary. Toyota Motor said on Thursday it saw global output slump 39.1 percent in September…


Europe’s Top Carmakers Count Mounting Cost of Chip Crunch

LONDON—The global semiconductor chip shortage cost Volkswagen and Stellantis a combined 1.4 million vehicles in lost production in the third quarter, Europe’s two biggest carmakers said on Thursday, though both reported some early signs of improvement. Volkswagen AG, Europe’s top car company and also the world’s No. 2, cut its outlook for deliveries, toned down…