Semiconductors pose an unwelcome roadblock for carmakers

THE SUDDEN unavailability a decade ago of cars in “tuxedo black”, “rugged brown” or “royal red” highlighted the vulnerability of the industry’s global supply chain. The abrupt closure of the only factory making a vital pigment because of its proximity to the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan affected most of the world’s big carmakers. A side-effect of a global pandemic has denied carmakers a more vital component. has left car firms unable to install the electronics that control entertainment systems, safety features and driving aids. Many have cut assembly-line shifts. Some have temporarily closed factories. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer of the Center Automotive Research, a German think-tank, reckons the bottlenecks will dent forecast worldwide production in 2021 by 5.2m cars, to 74.8m.