Chip shortage won’t go away soon.
The global shortage of microchips is not slowing down. Although it’s affecting many industries, the most obvious is the automotive industry. It’s causing some brands to make vehicles without certain features, as empty dealership lots attract attention. This strategy has led to the Ford Explorer being the latest victim.
Ford’s SUV will soon remove climate controls from the rear seats. Automotive News reports that a general announcement was made at the National Auto Dealers Association meeting regarding safety features. According to Automotive News, Ford is looking into features that could be removed during production, but later installed once there are more microchips. This would enable dealers to stockpile and sell vehicles with reduced functionality.
A spokesperson for Ford later confirmed to Automotive News the Ford Explorer’s rear-seat climate controls were being removed temporarily. Ford will have the controls ready for installation within a year. According to the report, anyone who buys an Explorer without the feature will receive a price reduction. Installation will be free once the parts are made available. You can adjust the climate for the rear-seat passengers using the main controls at the front.
This isn’t the first time an automaker has taken such measures to stock dealers with new vehicles. General Motors took out many features from its wide range of models. These included park assist for Cadillacs and heated seat in GMC vehicles. Jeep eliminated the Quadra Lift suspension from the Grand Cherokee. BMW removed some touchscreen functionality. Genesis took a more extreme step by removing some safety technology.
There is an alternative to not building vehicles, which virtually all manufacturers continue to face. The war in Ukraine has created new challenges for the supply chain. Many German companies now source wire harnesses directly from the affected regions. BMW, Porsche have temporarily shut down and it’s not clear how long this situation will last.