Posted on 07/23/2021 5:13:01 PM PDT by george76
Have you heard the one about the dead cars? No, not the ones we find in junkyards, but the ones that haven’t had life yet, thanks to the chip shortage.
These so-called “dead” cars are vehicles that have rolled off the assembly line, otherwise ready for sale, sitting in fields or on lots near the factories that produced them, just waiting for chips
The New York Times even recently recounted an anecdote from a dealer principal who took a pilgrimage to a Ford factory to see all the “dead” cars for himself.
We weren’t able to pin down a reliable estimate on how many dead cars there are sitting outside of factories, but we’re going to guess the number is a lot.
And that number is set to grow, as GM announced that plants in Indiana, Michigan, and Mexico that produce the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra will halt next week, thanks to, you guessed it, the chip shortage.
GM had so far avoided chip-related shutdowns by skipping some features, and by … building some trucks and adding the chips in later. See how that “dead” car anecdote links to today’s news story?
Of course, halting production is a step beyond finishing vehicles and letting them sit until the chip cavalry arrives.
“The global semiconductor shortage remains complex and very fluid, but GM’s global purchasing and supply chain, engineering and manufacturing teams continue to find creative solutions and make strides working with the supply base to minimize the impact to our highest-demand and capacity-constrained vehicles, including full-size trucks and SUVs for our customers,” the company said in a statement.
Leaving vehicles partially finished and cutting out certain features are just two solutions for automakers struggling through an unusual time.
LOVING my 1 ton 1976 Chevy dually even more....regardless of the MPG.
No comment from the globalists.
Here’s a thought.
Stop putting so many dang computers in the cars.
And bring back keys for the ignition.
Conspiracy theories have become spoilers...
Anyone else thinking there’s something awfully convenient about the timing of this chip shortage..
I almost wouldn’t mind having a Yugo about now.
Never let a crisis go to waste?
There’s a Mercedes dealership in my town that has a huge lot where they store new cars ready for sale. Typically it has 30 to 40 cars on that lot. Drive by today and it’s empty.
Drive with pride
Just don’t swerve to miss a baby duck.
Yep! "They" don't want us to have cars. Just one step in weaning us away, into public transportation, easier to control the masses.
[ Conspiracy theories have become spoilers...
Anyone else thinking there’s something awfully convenient about the timing of this chip shortage.. ]
I AM STEALING THIS!!!
Neither will happen
“LOVING my 1 ton 1976 Chevy dually even more....regardless of the MPG.”
Yep, that’s a keeper and worth working on. Currently building a 78 Chevy van with 4X4 on one ton axles. :)
If you want to buy a car with fancy chips, you have to buy it from CHI NAH.
Tsinghua Unigroup, a Chinese state-backed chip maker, said it received court notice that one of its creditors had initiated bankruptcy proceedings for the group, dated July 12.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3978440/posts
When I was going to Michigan Tech we had to cross the Mackinaw bridge in all kinds of weather.
Scary in a high wind advisory.
A student was blown of the span in a Yugo. You don’t want a Yugo.
Go look at the bridge.
“Fold” = Found On Lot, Dead?
But at least in a Yugo you wouldn’t have to worry about a chip shortage.
Anyone who’s worked in the automotive supply chain knows how invasive and demanding their supplier quality assurance people are, putting suppliers through the wringer to prevent exactly this scenario.
One SQA person told me “We don’t build cars with holes in the dashboard”. Well, now they do, apparently...
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