But this picture isn’t completely rosy…
As we covered before, the chip shortage has been so bad automakers like GM and Stellantis have been forced to idle numerous production lines, including entire factories. A new report claims the “crisis is easing up” so GM and Stellantis can fire up car production in at least some of the facilities which have sat relatively silent for weeks.
Learn more about what the chip shortage has been doing to new car sales here.
One of the facilities which will seen some action again is GM’s Lansing Grand River Plant. The Chevy Camaro, Cadillac CT4, and Cadillac CT5 are made there, so dealers might start to receive some fresh stock in the not-distant future. Camaro production has been halted and restarted 3 times this year, while production of the two Cadillac cars has been shuttered since May.
Also, the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant is beginning production once more this week. Both the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave crossovers are assembled there, products which quite a few families rely on to get around.
Another winner is the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit, home of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Production of the two-row version of the SUV was halted midway through September.
While all this is good news, many more factories remain shut down, and not only from GM and Stellantis. Ford has closed many key production lines, including halting Mustang assembly at Flat Rock Assembly Plant. The Blue Oval has also scaled back its Kentucky Truck Plant to one shift instead of three. The New York Times reports Ford sales plummeted 27 percent in the third quarter because of the chip shortage.
Toyota saw a significant reduction in production last month. Despite that, the Japanese automaker was able to outperform competitors in the first 9 months of 2021, selling 1.86 million vehicles versus 1.78 million sold by GM. That marks the first time GM hasn’t been the top seller of vehicles in the US since 1931.
Meanwhile, GM is extending some shutdowns. For example, the Ramos plant which assembles the Chevrolet Blazer will be closed for 2 weeks longer than originally announced. The assembly line there originally went silent on August 23.
Sources: CBS Detroit, The Detroit News, Reuters, The New York Times, Reuters
