Frying Pan Into the Fire -- Chip Shortage

Weather Man

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Irony squared.


Chipless GM Trucks Have Been Stashed at a Former Chip Plant for Months​

By Hazel Southwell, The Drive 2 hrs ago

The global semiconductor shortage is wreaking havoc on the automotive industry. You probably knew that already and like everyone, you're probably a little sick of hearing about it. After all, it's been going on for more than a year without any true resolution on the horizon but here we are, still having to discuss because the trucks still can't be completed. Pouring salt in the wound, fleets of mostly assembled, chipless General Motors pickups have been stored at a former GM semiconductor plant for months.
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GM's chief chip struggle wranglers found a temporary storage solution for all the trucks they couldn't finish or deliver, and thousands still sit in the parking lots of the since-repurposed facility in Kokomo, Indiana. The Kokomo Tribune first reported on the news in late August and when The Drive reached out for comment on Friday, a GM spokesperson confirmed the plant is still being used for storage. This seemingly goes against reports that GM is halfway through with its stockpile of chipless trucks, too.

Essentially every automaker has grinded through the chip shortage, though GM has had a real public struggle with finishing trucks. Or, well, anything--which, while relatable as a metaphor for executive function during a global crisis, is pretty critical for a company whose entire business is selling people cars. It's on pace to be the manufacturer's worst sales year since the Eisenhower Recession in 1958 and in July, it had to straight-up pause pickup production because it just didn't have the parts. Last week, GM reported a 40 percent cut in Q3 earnings that came right down to the chip shortage, though it's still pacing for higher year-end earnings than in 2020, so that's at least a plus.

GM binned off 160 jobs at the Kokomo plant back in 2016 before finally shutting down all semiconductor production there in 2017. The logic at the time was that manufacturing equipment was too costly to replace, compared to getting cheaper chips on import. GMCH Kokomo was also retooled to produce ventilators at the start of the pandemic last year.

When GM initially shifted the focus of the Kokomo plant, it said it was moving to being supplied by specialist companies dedicated to semiconductors. An example would be Foxconn, which is now, with some considerable irony, going to make cars. Meanwhile, GM's trucks are gonna sit outside the plant that could've fixed them a half-decade ago until supply chains unstick themselves. Don't hold your breath--there's been a new Animal Crossing update and those Switch chips are in demand.
 

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L8APEX

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Looks like BMW is ditching touchscreens in many of the cars they are producing next year due to chip shortages.
Honestly the I-Drive in the Z4 that has no touchscreen is easier to use than the Sync 1 "With navigation" in the Mustang aside from entering phone numbers. Once you get used to the layout it is fairly easy to do without looking at the controls, and my screen pops out of my dash top so you are basically looking out of the windshield instead of in the middle of the center stack of the dash. And no fingerprints.
My only gripe with I drive is you use the map you turn the wheel clockwise to zoom out and counter to zoom in. I want to turn right (clockwise) to zoom in, left to zoom out, like a screw.

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
 

Weather Man

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Local Ford inventory is the best its been in a long time. Actually had a half dozen new F-150 on the lot.

Hyliion Holdings slides after warning of production delays due to semiconductor shortage

HYLN -2.87%Nov. 10, 2021 7:04 AM ET4 Comments
  • Hyliion Holdings Corp. (NYSE:HYLN) is down sharply in early trading after investors digest the company's Q3 earnings report and production update.
  • Hyliion (HYLN) warns that it is extending the company's production and commercialization timelines longer than expected due to a shortage of semiconductors and several other key components. Fleets are said to be experiencing lead times on new truck purchases that extend out for delivery into 2023. Hyliion (HYLN) says it has already placed orders for all vehicles needed in 2022 and is working to secure build slots for the 2023 calendar year in an effort to mitigate further supply chain impacts to the ERX development schedule.
  • Shares of HYLN are down 8.63% in premarket action to $8.05.
 

Weather Man

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Sony cutting PS5 production forecast amid supply issues - Bloomberg

SONY -0.24%Nov. 11, 2021 10:46 AM ET
  • Sony (SONY +0.2%) is cutting its production forecast for PlayStation 5 consoles, Bloomberg reports - with the electronics giant bending to widespread problems in supply chains and logistics.
  • The console has been difficult to locate even now, one year after its launch.
  • It had aimed to assemble more than 16 million units in the year ending in March, with a plan to sell 14.8 million of them by then. But it's now cutting production estimates to 15 million, according to the report.
  • The console was a tough gift to secure for holiday shopping in 2020 amid the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic - and it will be hard to find again this year.
  • Chipmakers have warned that their fabs are unlikely to be at normal operations even in 2022.
  • The Sony news follows reports that Nintendo (NTDOY +1%) has cut its own forecasts for fiscal-year production of the Switch console by about 20%.
 

Weather Man

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The chip shortage has forced automakers to a new low … literally. Automotive News paints a chilling picture: General Motors has temporarily stopped offering heated seats on many of its crossovers and full-size pickups because of wafer scarcity. Said vehicles include the Chevy Colorado, Blazer, Equinox, all Silverados and Traverses except High Country trims; the GMC Canyon and Terrain; and all Sierras and Acadias except the Denalis. It gets worse, too: these models will lose their ventilated seats and heated steering wheels, too. GM says it’s made a tradeoff, sacrificing the comfort of your rear in favor of three other features—for the pickups only—including digital temperature displays through the 2022 model year. (So you can shiver in your unheated thrones with full and complete awareness of the outside winter temperatures?) GM says it is exploring whether it can retrofit affected vehicles with the heated and ventilated seats later once parts become available.
 

q6543

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I read BMW is removing touchscreen interfaces.

At least we're seeing solutions.
 

Weather Man

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GlobalFoundries and Ford announce semiconductor partnership

GFS +5.34%Nov. 18, 2021 9:06 AM ET4 Comments
  • Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS) announce a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing semiconductor manufacturing and technology development within the United States
  • The companies have signed a non-binding agreement that opens the door for GlobalFoundries (GFS) to create further semiconductor supply for Ford's current vehicle lineup and joint research and development to address the growing demand for feature-rich chips to support the automotive industry. The new chips could include solutions for ADAS, battery management systems and in-vehicle networking.
  • The two companies plan to broadly explore expanded semiconductor manufacturing opportunities to support the automotive industry. The strategic collaboration does not involve any cross-ownership between each other.
  • Shares of GFS are up 9.17% premarket to $68.45 and Ford (F) trades flat.
 

L8APEX

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Looks like BMW is ditching touchscreens in many of the cars they are producing next year due to chip shortages.
Honestly the I-Drive in the Z4 that has no touchscreen is easier to use than the Sync 1 "With navigation" in the Mustang aside from entering phone numbers. Once you get used to the layout it is fairly easy to do without looking at the controls, and my screen pops out of my dash top so you are basically looking out of the windshield instead of in the middle of the center stack of the dash. And no fingerprints.
My only gripe with I drive is you use the map you turn the wheel clockwise to zoom out and counter to zoom in. I want to turn right (clockwise) to zoom in, left to zoom out, like a screw.

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

I read BMW is removing touchscreen interfaces.

At least we're seeing solutions.

Basically a return to I-Drive, which I don't mind.
Now the fingerprints on my Mustang screen annoy me, whereas with I-drive you just use the controller with your right hand and the screen stays prefect.
 

Weather Man

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GM trucks stored waiting for chips.

And mice.

https://www.gm-trucks.com/gm-storin...s-in-muddy-field-moving-them-with-fork-lifts/

"The poster of the images, who has since deleted the photos, claims GM is using a skid loader with a fork attachment and a bulldozer to get trucks out of the mud. While no photos of the forklift or bulldozer were provided, GM-Trucks.com has confirmed from a GM dealer that they’ve been instructed to inspect all inbound HD’s for forklift damage and have noted increased frame rust on trucks stored in the field."
 

Weather Man

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  • Semiconductors, automobiles and the potential for tie-ups between the two industries took the spotlight in the tech sector with seemingly everyone from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) getting behind the wheel this week.
  • Let's start with Apple (AAPL) which said...Absolutely nothing. But, reports that the company has developed a semiconductor "breakthrough", and will produce a fully autonomous electric car within four year were enough to send just about everyone wondering what companies might benefit from Apple (AAPL) putting a so-called "iCar" on the road.
  • Other chip companies involved into automotive industry actually did have a lot to say during the week. One of those was Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), which got a big boost on Wall Street following its better-than-expected earnings report. Nvidia (NVDA) also said it was still pushing ahead with efforts to acquire British chip-technology company Arm Holdings despite more governmental inquiries into the proposed $40 billion acquisition.
  • Qualcomm (QCOM) wouldn't be outdone, as it said it secured a deal to provide its chip technology to BMW for a new generation of the automakers self-driving cars. Qualcomm Chief Executive Cristiano Amon also touted the company's automotive plans as part of its efforts to diversity into new industries for its chip products.
  • If that wasn't enough, General Motors (NYSE:GM) also said it was working with Qualcomm (QCOM) and other chipmakers to supply semiconductors for its vehicles in an effort to get around chip industry supply shortages.
 

quad

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Looks like BMW is ditching touchscreens in many of the cars they are producing next year due to chip shortages.
Honestly the I-Drive in the Z4 that has no touchscreen is easier to use than the Sync 1 "With navigation" in the Mustang aside from entering phone numbers. Once you get used to the layout it is fairly easy to do without looking at the controls, and my screen pops out of my dash top so you are basically looking out of the windshield instead of in the middle of the center stack of the dash. And no fingerprints.
My only gripe with I drive is you use the map you turn the wheel clockwise to zoom out and counter to zoom in. I want to turn right (clockwise) to zoom in, left to zoom out, like a screw.

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
My mom's Audi Q5 is like that. There's also a stylus like pad where you can write letters. At first it bugged me that the screen did not have touch capabilities but now I have gotten used to it and like the fact that the screen does not have fingerprints all over it.
 

me32

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GM trucks stored waiting for chips.

And mice.

https://www.gm-trucks.com/gm-storin...s-in-muddy-field-moving-them-with-fork-lifts/

"The poster of the images, who has since deleted the photos, claims GM is using a skid loader with a fork attachment and a bulldozer to get trucks out of the mud. While no photos of the forklift or bulldozer were provided, GM-Trucks.com has confirmed from a GM dealer that they’ve been instructed to inspect all inbound HD’s for forklift damage and have noted increased frame rust on trucks stored in the field."
Im thinking at some point this might cause issues.
 

365 Saleen

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GM does a lot of dumb stuff. Like ship Trucks and SUV's with Transport wheels/tires, and then ship the wheels and tires that actually go on the truck or SUV separately. Then at the Dealership a tech has to remove the transport wheels/tires and install the wheels/tires that belong on the truck. Then the Dealership has to ship the transport wheels/tires back to GM to be used again.
And it is not like the transport wheels/tires are generic items. They are alloy wheels with Michelin tires on them.
They will ship a Truck or SUV that was ordered with a "Black Out" option. The tech at the dealership has to remove all of the chrome badging (it gets destroyed in the removal process) and install the "Black-Out" badging. This sometimes requires the removal of the entire front fascia so a "Black-Out" grill can be installed.
Why the truck or SUV can not be shipped as ordered is beyond me. When I worked at Ford Dealerships I never saw this practice.
 

biminiLX

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Ordeeed Pacifica in April and confirmed order in June. Order ‘lost’ so the new 11/2021 price is almost $4k more. To order a ‘22 is actually $1k less but still $3k more than expected.
New GT500 order is $3k more than ‘21.
Might be a long while til auto market is stable unfortunately.
-J
 

me32

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GM does a lot of dumb stuff. Like ship Trucks and SUV's with Transport wheels/tires, and then ship the wheels and tires that actually go on the truck or SUV separately. Then at the Dealership a tech has to remove the transport wheels/tires and install the wheels/tires that belong on the truck. Then the Dealership has to ship the transport wheels/tires back to GM to be used again.
And it is not like the transport wheels/tires are generic items. They are alloy wheels with Michelin tires on them.
They will ship a Truck or SUV that was ordered with a "Black Out" option. The tech at the dealership has to remove all of the chrome badging (it gets destroyed in the removal process) and install the "Black-Out" badging. This sometimes requires the removal of the entire front fascia so a "Black-Out" grill can be installed.
Why the truck or SUV can not be shipped as ordered is beyond me. When I worked at Ford Dealerships I never saw this practice.
That is interesting, i wouldn't think the extra labor would be worth it. Unless they are taking that out of the destination fee for the dealership cut.
 

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