Numerous smartphones have already been delayed or cancelled as a result of the ongoing semiconductor shortage. The bottleneck, however, is not simply confined to mobile devices; it also has an impact on every other significant business and consumer electronic goods. In fact, the scarcity of chips led many automakers to be forced to temporarily close their operations for a few weeks at a time. The situation has now become so severe that, in some regions, BMW is selling its vehicles to consumers without built-in Wi-Fi or Android Auto or CarPlay features in the infotainment system.
The shortage of semiconductors pushed the German automaker to switch chip suppliers. Due to the fact that the new chips are not yet certified for Android Auto and CarPlay, the business has been forced to temporarily remove the capability from all of its vehicles created after the beginning of 2022. BMW is delivering these automobiles to clients without the missing capability in order to prevent additional delays. According to reports, these vehicles have already been delivered to consumers in the US, the UK, Spain, Italy, and France. BMW did not specifically state which vehicles lack Android Auto and CarPlay, however it appears that vehicles with “6P1” in their manufacturing code are the ones that come without these features.
The good news is that the automaker told Automotive News Europe (via Engadget) that it would be releasing a software update to fix Android Auto, CarPlay, and Wi-Fi issues on affected vehicles by the “end of June at the latest.” Even though Android Auto is significantly superior to the in-car entertainment system, it is still far from flawless.
According to the source, Mercedes-Benz ships its automobiles completely devoid of some chips, in contrast to BMW. Once the chips are eventually in stock, the manufacturer will notify the impacted consumers so they can have the chips installed in their vehicles at a nearby service station. The chip scarcity has had an impact on other automakers, including Tesla, General Motors, and Ford, forcing them to delete a number of features from their cars.
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Author: David Nadelle
The phrase “vehicle purchases should reflect who you are, down to the slightest detail” is frequently used in auto advertisements. This is particularly valid when selecting a luxury automobile. Beamer buyers will have to wait to access all the features typically offered to new BMW drivers.
Global microprocessor shortages have resulted in considerable delays in the production of new cars. All automakers, including BMW, are attempting to address this issue by reducing features from select models or doing away with specific equipment to maintain production.
Due to a lack of microchips and a change in semiconductor suppliers, BMW has announced it would produce some new models without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto choices. When updated software is introduced, new car owners won’t have access to these features until “the end of June at the latest.”
The business does not specify how many models or which locations are affected, only that the affected models had the specification code 6P1 in them. Customers have already complained in auto-centric forums that these mobile app features are missing from their new BMWs in the US, Italy, Spain, the UK, and France.
But according to The Autopian, in addition to models with code 6P1 specs, features like two-device Bluetooth call pairing, two-device Bluetooth streaming audio, and the in-car Wi-Fi hotspot will also be temporarily disabled in new models, according to an email and a BMW build sheet posted on the Bimmerpost board. If accurate, this will have an impact on practically every vehicle that BMW produces.
Currently, models and variants are frequently changed, which results in a shortage of available vehicles and lengthy wait times. To stretch its supply of microchips, Ford, for instance, is manufacturing its Explorer SUV without climate controls for the back seats. The heated seats, heated steering wheels, and parking assist will not be included in deliveries of the Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, XT4, XT5, and XT6.
Numerous microchips can be found in modern vehicles. While others assist you in changing digital settings and temperature controls, some regulate crucial engine and transmission systems. The pandemic-related shortages of semiconductor chips and supply chain issues were made worse by the Ukraine crisis when chip facilities were forced to close and then return to an unimaginable demand.
Customers are purchasing new models in dealerships around the country, including BMW shops, as they roll off the production line as a result of the economy’s recovery and the decline in loan rates.
But because there is a much greater demand than supply for cars and their parts, prices have increased throughout recent periods of high inflation. According to Edmunds, the average cost of a new car has increased by 13% in the last year. With an average price increase of 29% at the same time, used prices have surpassed new prices.
BMW stated during its mid-March annual news conference that it anticipated the chip shortage to persist until 2022. Experts and insiders in the field, though, are less upbeat. Many predict that semiconductor supply conditions will improve in 2023, but won’t return to normal until 2024.
Deal shows automakers are eschewing established component suppliers in order to secure supplies.
The parts will act as switches for ambient lighting systems, which will be used for the first time in the BMW iX.
Following the closure of some of its factories due to a global scarcity of the components, BMW secured a long-term agreement to secure semiconductors for in-car lighting systems.
The automaker has a contract with Globalfoundries and Inova Semiconductors that ensures the delivery of “several million” chips annually.
The parts will act as switches for ambient lighting systems, which will be employed for the first time in the BMW iX full-electric SUV.
Andreas Wendt, a board member in charge of purchasing, said in a statement on Wednesday that “we are extending our collaboration with suppliers at key nodes in the supply network and synchronizing our capacity planning directly with semiconductor manufacturers and developers.”
BMW’s agreement is yet another indication that automakers are bypassing conventional parts suppliers and working directly with semiconductor producers to acquire essential chip supplies.
On Tuesday, Stellantis unveiled a non-binding agreement for the creation of four new families of automotive chips with Foxconn owner Hon Hai Technology Group.
BMW has fared better than others in navigating supply-chain snarls, and in late September it defied warnings by increasing earnings projections. Even so, the corporation had manufacturing line interruptions, and its November vehicle sales were lower than they had been the previous month.
According to a BMW spokeswoman, semiconductors are employed in every aspect of an automobile that requires the flipping of a switch. The company employs ambient lighting produced by LEDs all throughout the inside of their cars.
In order to employ Qualcomm’s chips in its driver assistance and self-driving systems, BMW also just struck a contract with the company.
These are the features that New BMWs Lack Due to a Chip Shortage.
BMW entered the decade as one of the manufacturers more equipped to handle issues with the supply chain. BMW’s hesitation to use rare minerals in its electric motors is likely caused by its supply “task force,” which is said to have seen the chip problem approaching from further out. BMW has nonetheless not been immune to the effects of the global supply chain collapse and has finally had to remove some standard and/or optional features from several models.
There has been a lot of discussion about the tech, comfort, and entertainment features BMW is eliminating from its vehicles on social media and on the internet. But as Mike Juergens pointed out on Twitter, the affected features are mostly those right here:
- Bowers & Wilkins and Harman Kardon are examples of high-end audio equipment.
- charging a phone wirelessly
- lumbar and width adjustments for passenger seats
- electronic keys
- In some circumstances, adaptive cruise control and parking assistance.
According to a BMW spokeswoman for Product and Technology, “These actions are a result of the industry-wide supply chain challenges that are hurting vehicle manufacture worldwide and placing limitations on the availability of specific features or choices.” On the Monroney [window sticker], “any eliminated standard features would be indicated as a credit.”
So there you have it, even while it’s likely that most of BMW’s vehicle portfolio will eventually be impacted in some fashion, there isn’t a general rule declaring that a given model is coming without a certain set of characteristics. The assembly line almost seems to make do with whatever is available at any given time. Additionally, buyers will see a reduction in the final price if any of the required equipment is absent.
Earlier this year, semiconductor producer TSMC predicted that carmakers would not be able to solve their supply issues for several months, and that consumers would not start to see a difference until at least the second quarter of 2022. Therefore, those piles of unfinished GM pickup vehicles are probably not going anywhere for at least the upcoming couple of seasons.
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Old-school vehicle manufacturers were skilled at producing cars and trucks. Common Motors
Massive supply networks were developed by companies like GM (GM), Ford (F), Stellantis (STLA), Volkswagen (VWAGY), Toyota (TM), and others. Manufacturing of parts was outsourced, and many of the suppliers were made interchangeable. Building automobiles at scale and keeping competitors out was a foolproof plan.
Executives at traditional automakers reduced orders for the semiconductors that power their advanced safety, entertainment, and navigation systems because they anticipated slower sales. Chip manufacturers complied, after which they moved on to take orders from clients in the consumer electronics industry. Automakers were bumped down the line. Even now, they are still suffering for their lack of foresight. The majority of established automakers’ stock should still be purchased. Even terrible.
The majority of auto companies are still not keen on bringing in software engineering talent. The sector is still reliant on third party software companies for its solutions after two full years into the shortage. Because auto executives think outsourcing is a competitive advantage, the situation is a tangle with no simple solution. It isn’t.
To change metaphors, the Austin, Texas-based corporation has evolved into a vertically integrated vampire in the automotive industry. The CEO, Elon Musk, kept his chip orders in 2020 and has since increased his purchases. According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he ordered business engineers to rewrite the vehicle’s codebase to function with microcontrollers when supplies ran low in 2021.
Tesla has as its topic independence. CarPlay and Android Auto have never been directly supported in its electric vehicles. While the Tesla infotainment platform is proprietary, Google Maps is a licensed product. Smartphones communicate using Bluetooth, a free technology that is not governed by Apple, Alphabet, or chip manufacturers.
BMW stated last week that it had to switch to a new semiconductor in order to keep up with its production schedule. According to The Automotive News, silicon does not yet enable Android Auto and CarPlay. Since 2020, the platforms have been a part of the majority of new BMWs.
Although the performance of auto company stocks in 2022 has been subpar, things could become worse. The sector is mired in debt. Rates of interest are rising. The economy is expected to shrink. Production will undoubtedly follow at the top legacy manufacturers.
According to the most recent financial records, Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, BMW, and GM owe $211B, $185B, $154B, $127B, and $114B, respectively. Only $13 billion of Tesla’s debt is long-term.
With shares of GM down 32.4% year to date, investors should exercise extra caution. Ironically, business leaders have pushed for a full EV commitment at a time when sales of automobiles with internal combustion engines are necessary to pay off skyrocketing debt levels.
By 2035, according to a 2021 announcement from GM, solely EVs would be manufactured. The Detroit, Michigan-based company also plans to launch 30 new EVs by 2025 at a cost of $27 billion.
GM stock is down 32.5% in 2022, though. To protect their cash, current GM investors should think about selling into strength.
Due to a shortage of chips, BMW is removing touchscreens from popular models.
Almost all of the intelligent features in current vehicles are powered by semiconductors. However, the auto industry has been severely impacted by a lack of semiconductors, leading many manufacturers to reduce their annual car manufacturing rates. To maintain current production levels, BMW decided to remove the touchscreen from a few models.
Those who purchase the impacted BMW cars still have some good news. If customers choose to purchase cars without touchscreens, the business will give them a $500 credit, bringing the price of the cars down.