Chip shortages slow vehicle productionRIPPLE EFFECTS: Diminished supply, which has for the past few months affected auto firms worldwide, might prove to be a short-term issue due to COVID-19, an expert said A widening global shortage of semiconductors for auto parts is forcing major auto companies to halt or slow vehicle production just as they were recovering from COVID-19 pandemic-related factory shutdowns. Officials at Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co all say they have been hit by the shortage and been forced to delay production of some models in order to keep other factories running. “This is absolutely an industry issue,” Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said in an e-mail on Friday. “We are evaluating the supply constraint of semiconductors and developing countermeasures to minimize

Source: Taipei Times January 12, 2021 15:56 UTC