Chip shortage means people waiting in line for Ford pickups, says an article on Wral.
Three-fold Problem
Capital Ford spokesman Mark Roberts said the problem is three-fold: a fire in Japan, a ship blocking the Suez Canal, and the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, a fire at a semiconductor plant near Tokyo aggravated a tight supply of microchips for the automotive industry. Around the same time, a cargo ship ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking traffic through the key trade route for almost a week.
“Those chips are only made in a few places in the world, and a lot of them come right through the Suez Canal,” Roberts said. “It was really surprising how tight the supply is and how much that impacted things.”
Computer chips in line
“There’s F150s that are sitting on the line waiting for computer chips” needed to maneuver the trucks, Roberts said. Dealerships are able to keep up with the demand for pickups by selling used trucks. If you are OK with a pre-owned truck, they don’t have the same issues with the chips that the new trucks do
The used trucks also are much cheaper than the new F150s, which are jumping in price because of the limited supply and heavy demand.
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Source: Wral
