The Latest Numbers on the Auto Microchip Shortage

The year-old idea that manufacturers would solve the microchip supply problem by the end of 2022 has proven painfully optimistic.

AutoForecast Solutions estimates that North American auto plants will need to cut more than 10,000 more vehicles from their schedules this week. Meanwhile, factories in Asia outside of China will have to eliminate the planned 32,000 vehicles.

An industry-wide effort to get out of a global microchip shortage is helping automakers avoid the serious production problems they experienced last year.

But according to new forecasts from AutoForecast Solutions, 2022 is just around the corner with nearly 4.5 million cars and trucks off schedule at factories due to chip shortages.

That’s well below the 10.5 million vehicles that automakers had to cut from their plans last year. However, schedules continue to be cut due to shortages.

AutoForecast Solutions says European car factories face a further 168,000 cuts between now and the end of the year.