ROME – The persistence of the chronic lack of semiconductor availability is having strong negative repercussions on vehicle sales. Precisely for this reason, the car manufacturers have been forced to revise their annual sales estimates downwards and to put an end to this dripping they are running for cover. Thus, Hyundai Motor’s global chief operating officer said the South Korean automaker wants to develop its own chips to reduce its reliance on supply chains increasingly short of valuable electronics. The global shortage of semiconductors started from the strong increase in the demand for computers and other electronic products during the pandemic (smart working in primis), and led to the suspension of some production lines dedicated to the automotive sector.
Hyundai also had to temporarily stop production at some of its plants, but Jose Munoz, the company’s global coo, said the worst was over, adding that Hyundai had its “toughest months” in August and September. The chip industry is reacting very, very quickly, Munoz explained, adding that Intel is investing huge funds to expand its manufacturing capacity. “But even in our case, we want to be able to develop our chips within the Group – said the coo of Hyundai Motor – It takes a lot of investment and time, but it is something we are working on”. Munoz added that the subsidiary Hyundai Mobis will play a key role in the internal development plan for this technology. (maurilio rigo)
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