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Chip Shortage Forces General Motors to Halt Truck Production

Chip Shortage Forces General Motors to Halt Truck Production

GM chip shortage cuts GMC Sierra

The semiconductor chip shortage has forced General Motors to halt production of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra during the weeks of April 4 and April 11. GM makes these high-margin models at a plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dealers sold 530,000 Chevy Silverados and 249,000 GMC Sierras in 2021. Silverado sales were down 11% in 2021 compared to the year before, and Sierra sales slipped 1.6%.

Premature Optimism Meets 2022

GM President Mark Reuss told CNBC that chip supplies were “getting a little better” but the crisis is not over. “We’re not through this, we’re doing the best we can.” The latest CarEdge chip shortage update shows that 308,700 vehicles have been removed from North American production schedules across all manufacturers, and the pace of cancellations remains steady. In 2021, General Motors canceled nearly one million vehicles from production because of the chip shortage.

In February, GM CEO Mary Barra voiced optimism, with perhaps a hint of wishful thinking. “We’ve said the improvements in the first quarter will pull through the year. Definitely, by the second half of this year we’ll be able to get closer to full capability.” The semiconductor chip shortage shows no signs of slowing down. Asian production hubs have been rattled by more COVID shutdowns, and even earthquakes. On top of the chip shortages, the war in Ukraine is affecting European operations. 

Trucks Are GM’s Big Money-Makers

2022 silverado gm chip shortage production cuts

GM’s announcement of a production stop in Fort Wayne is particularly notable considering that the Sierra and Silverado are higher margin vehicles for the automaker. If these two money-making models are temporarily removed from production, the chip shortage may be worse than company executives make it seem.

There may be a chip shortage, but GM’s bank accounts are as healthy as ever. In 2021, GM’s profits surged 55% to $10 billion, an all-time high for the legacy automaker. GM’s record profits coincided with a sharp decline in sales as inventory plummeted and new car prices skyrocketed. The company sold 2.9 million vehicles in 2021, down from 3.4 million in 2020. Sales slumped so much that Toyota took the crown for most U.S. sales for the first time ever. 

Lockdowns in Shanghai Have GM’s Workforce Sleeping On Floors

China has resisted calls to recognize the COVID-19 virus as an endemic illness, and China continues its zero-COVID policy at all costs. China’s ‘closed loop’ economic approach permits businesses to remain in operation, but only if all workers remain onsite. The same ‘closed loop’ policy was in place for the entirety of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. 

GM’s partnership with Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC has been fruitful for bringing the Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac brands to China. Over 10,000 people are employed by the SAIC-GM joint venture in China. During the latest COVID lockdown in Shanghai, Automotive News reports that the SAIC-GM production plant has remained open with workers sleeping on floors inside of the facility. GM has declined to comment on the situation.

Continuing operations at the Shanghai facility may give General Motors an upper hand in the struggle to produce higher volumes of vehicles given the current supply shortages. Tesla’s Giga Shanghai factory was forced to close this week. Tesla failed to prepare enough food and other accommodations for the 2,000 employees. Volkswagen has also been impacted by the Shanghai lockdowns, but VW’s factories remain open for now. 

CarEdge’s Take

Where does General Motors go from here? The now #2 automaker in America managed to score record profits in 2021, despite the severity of the chip shortage. As MSRPs rise and automaker incentives disappear, it’s entirely plausible that GM will see positive outcomes yet again, even with empty dealer lots. 

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Every Electric Vehicle On Sale in 2022: Wait Times and Price

Every Electric Vehicle On Sale in 2022: Wait Times and Price

Hyundai IONIQ 5

(Updated for Summer 2022)

As anyone who’s fallen head over heels for one of the many 2022 electric vehicles and clicked that ‘Order’ button can attest, just because you can order an EV in 2022 doesn’t mean you can drive it home this year. This was a problem I faced myself, but I finally broke the code and got a Hyundai IONIQ 5 at MSRP (here’s how).

Soon after I began my online car search, it became clear that if I wanted a brand-new vehicle, my options were limited by availability. To make the most of the situation, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about the availability and estimated delivery times for EVs on the market today. Here’s what we know as we kick off the new year.

Note: These are fully-electric models that can either be ordered now or purchased at a dealership today. Many more have been announced but are not yet officially available.

MakeModelClassStarting MSRPEstimated Delivery/Lot Availability*
Audie-troncrossover SUV$65,900Available Now
AudiQ4 e-troncrossover SUV$43,900Available Now
AudiRS e-tron GTsedan$103,445Available Now
BMWiXSUV$88,050Mid-2022
BMWi4sedan$55,400Mid-2022
CadillacLyriqSUV$62,990Late-2022
ChevroletBolthatchback$31,000Available Now
ChevroletBolt EUVcrossover SUV$33,500Available Now
FiskerOceancrossover SUV$37,4992023
FordMustang Mach-Ecrossover SUV$43,895Available Now
FordF-150 Lightningtruck$39,9742023-2024
GMCHummer EVtruck$99,995Mid-to-late 2022
HyundaiIONIQcrossover SUV$33,245Available Now (Discontinued)
HyundaiIONIQ 5crossover SUV$43,650Available Now
HyundaiKonacrossover SUV$34,000Available Now
JaguarI-Pacecrossover SUV$69,900Available Now
KiaNirocrossover SUV$39,990Available Now
KiaEV6crossover SUV$42,115Available Now
LucidAirsedan$77,400Mid-2022
MazdaMX-30crossover SUV$33,4702022 - CA Only
MercedesEQSsedan$102,310Available Now
MercedesEQBSUV~$55,000Late 2022
NissanLeafhatchback$27,400Available Now
NissanAriyacrossover SUV$47,125Late 2022
PolestarPolestar 2sedan$45,900Available Now
PorscheTaycansedan$82,700Available Now
RivianR1Ttruck$67,5002023
RivianR1SSUV$70,0002023
SubaruSolterracrossover SUV$46,220Mid-to-late 2022
TeslaModel Ssedan$94,990Late 2022 - 2023
TeslaModel 3sedan$46,990Mid-to-late 2022
TeslaModel XSUV$104,9902023
TeslaModel Ycrossover SUV$62,990Late 2022 - 2023
ToyotabZ4Xcrossover SUV$43,215Mid-to-late 2022
VolkswagenID.4crossover SUV$40,760Mid-2022
VolvoXC40 Rechargecrossover SUV$55,300Available Now
*For a vehicle ordered in May 2022, unless there's existing dealership supply.

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What Does It All Mean? Supply and Demand Are Out of Whack

A few things might stand out to you on this list. Not a lot of options are available if you need a new vehicle right now. VW Group’s new EVs are available at many dealerships, although there are reports of major dealer markups. It’s quite easy to find EVs of the previous generation on dealer lots. Think Kia eNiro, Hyundai Kona EV, Nissan Leaf and the like. 

The vast majority of 2022 electric vehicles are crossovers. No surprise there given the sales trends over the past decade. Honda doesn’t have a single EV arriving in the North American market until the 2024 Prologue electric SUV. That is surprising considering the popularity and good reputation of the brand. What will it take for automakers to catch up to demand? An end to the chip shortage would be a great step in the right direction. There’s also the supply versus demand factor. Ford, Rivian, Tesla and VW are all swamped with orders well into 2022, and even into 2023. All except Tesla are EV newcomers who are facing the same production ramp-up struggles that Tesla just barely survived a few years ago. We’ll update this page regularly as more information becomes available, so save it to your bookmarks!

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below, or shoot an email to justin@CarEdge.com.