There are more signs that the microchip shortage is easing, even as automakers cut 82,573 vehicles from production plans worldwide last week, according to the latest estimate from AutoForecast Solutions.
North American factories lost 38,677 vehicles because of a lack of semiconductors last week, in addition to 21,700 cut from assembly plants in China and 22,196 removed from production schedules elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. For the second consecutive week, AutoForecast Solutions lowered its full-year production-loss estimate for North America. It now expects about 954,206 vehicles to be cut in the region by year’s end, an improvement from the 1.01 million it anticipated last week.
“Strides continued to be made in securing more semiconductors for automotive production,” said Sam Fiorani, AutoForecast Solutions’ vice president of global vehicle forecasting, in an email. “Transportation issues, especially in North America, are growing as the next big concern, taking some of the focus away from the semiconductor troubles of the last three years.”