The latest numbers on the microchip shortage: Pace of chip-related cuts slows

After weeks of sharp rises, the pace of global vehicle production cuts resulting from the microchip shortage slowed from the previous week, according to the latest estimate from AutoForecast Solutions.

AFS said about 577,900 vehicles have been removed from production plans at assembly plants worldwide so far this year, up from about 527,400 one week earlier. While that means an additional 50,500 vehicles have disappeared from factory production schedules, it represents a moderation from the 100,000 cuts that automakers made in each of the two previous weeks.

Last week’s losses were mostly driven by European factories, which saw year-to-date losses jump by roughly 37,900 units to 180,900 vehicles. Plants in Asia, outside of China, lost about 9,300 vehicles, while plants in North America cut 3,400 vehicles. 

For the second consecutive week, AFS reported no change in its year-to-date estimates in China, South America, the Middle East and Africa.

Volkswagen AG’s assembly plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, has had the largest chip-related disruptions of any plant in the world this year, with an estimated year-to-date loss of 70,300 vehicles, or about 12 percent of AFS’ global estimate.