Chrysler Pacifica Is The Latest Vehicle To Idle Production Due To Chip Shortage
A microchip shortage is ravaging the US automotive industry as many automakers have been forced to idle production of some of their most popular vehicles. While some vehicles see their production stopped entirely, other automakers are building their vehicles minus critical parts to be added later when the chips required are available. The latest vehicle to have production impacted by the chip shortage is the Chrysler Pacifica.
Those unfamiliar with the Chrysler Pacifica might want to check our review of the very cool minivan for more information. This week, Chrysler parent company Stellantis announced that it would be idling production of the Pacifica at the Windsor, Ontario manufacturing facility for several weeks. Stellantis says that it is working closely with suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the supply chain issues facing the automotive industry.
Stellantis says that due to the global microchip shortage, production at the Windsor Assembly Plant will be down starting next week through the middle of April. The global microchip shortage is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on manufacturing across the world. Microchip manufacturers are also seeing increased demand due to increased purchases of consumer electronics and other devices that also use the same microchips.
The microchip shortage has put increasing pressure on chip manufacturers, particularly those in Asia. One of the major centers for microchip production in the entire world is Taiwan. The world's largest chipmaker is TSMC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd. TSMC has seen increasing pressure from the US and other governments to resolve the shortage of chips leading to idled factories around the world.
Most US manufacturers receive the vast majority of their microprocessors from overseas manufacturers. Shortages such as this are one of the key reasons some support bringing chip manufacturing back to the United States despite its increased costs.