This is getting old…
A new report details out how General Motors’ Lansing Grand River Assembly plant will be idled for at least 2 weeks thanks to a semiconductor shortage. This is the plant which makes the Chevrolet Camaro as well as the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, so enthusiasts eager to get their hands on those cars straight off the production line will be forced to wait. This global chip shortage has caused other auto factories to shut down production for weeks at a time, a problem which has lasted for several months now.
Your future Camaro could look like this.
Other automakers have felt the pinch, with production shutdowns in places like China blamed for the shortage. This is supposedly because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has also constrained vehicle production.
Because of fewer new vehicles being made, combined with a shortage of components on the market, thieves have seized on the opportunity by stealing cars at alarming rates. While not the sole cause of the theft increase, the demand for vehicles and parts certainly has been a driving force.
One GM official speaking with Automotive News made it clear the plan is to play catchup on production once the semiconductor shortage has been alleviated. This could mean temporarily adding another shift to Lansing Grand River Assembly, although that’s speculation and not confirmed. Or it could be that GM is just trying to save face in a situation over which they have little control.
Considering GM has had to scale back and even halt car production at several plants in North America recently, it has a lot of ground to make up. However, the one market niche which hasn’t been subjected to production cuts is trucks. Demand has been strong for pickups and SUVs throughout the global pandemic. The same can’t be said for muscle cars and other vehicles.
Source: Automotive News
