Ford Temporarily Suspends The F-150 Truck Factory For Lack Of Global Chips

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JAKARTA - Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it would stop production of their F-150 pickup truck at a factory in Michigan until Sunday due to a global shortage of semiconductor chips.

As reported by Antara, Friday, March 26, the Ford Dearborn, Michigan plant will be shut down from Friday to Sunday and will resume functioning on Monday. A spokesman declined to say how much volume would be lost.

The US number two automaker earlier said it would assemble its flagship F-150 truck without specific parts and hold it for "several weeks" until it can be completed and delivered.

Ford said the latest action was part of a previous estimate that a chip shortage could cut USD 1 billion to USD 2.5 billion from 2021 profits.

The chip shortage came when North American auto factories were closed for two months during last year's COVID-19 pandemic and chip orders were canceled.

Demand is soaring from the consumer electronics industry as people work from home and play video games. This makes automakers compete for chips.

Semiconductors are used extensively in automobiles, including for monitoring engine performance, adjusting steering or auto windows, and sensors used in parking and entertainment systems.