PwC assesses the auto industry in view of the semiconductor crisis

The management consultancy PwC assesses the production and sales plans of the auto industry in view of the semiconductor crisis with great skepticism. The expansion of semiconductor production facilities takes up to two years, the construction of new plants even five years - therefore "no short-term recovery in the supply of semiconductors is to be expected," said PwC expert Tanjeff Schadt before the start of the IAA auto show. "The negative effects of the semiconductor crisis are enormous and have so far reached almost 50 percent of the effects caused by Covid-19 in 2020," said PwC automotive industry expert Thomas Steinberger. In the first half of the year, 4.0 million fewer cars were built than planned. Volkswagen was therefore 21 percent below plan, Ford 18 percent, Stellantis 15 percent, GM 12 percent, Daimler 2 percent. BMW is only now hitting it. In view of constant short-term production downtimes and the situation at the suppliers, the planned increases in the third and fourth quarters are "to be questioned critically," warned the experts. For small suppliers in particular, the risks increased: "Persistent planning uncertainty could have domino effects that could trigger an increased need for restructuring." In particular, suppliers with a high dependency on individual regions, car manufacturers and vehicle classes "will have to adjust to large fluctuations". The auto industry is in a relatively weak negotiating position with semiconductor manufacturers. Because today no car can move without semiconductors; from the drive to the assistance systems, they are needed everywhere. But for the semiconductor industry, the auto industry is only a rather small customer compared to the IT industry or consumer electronics.