Temporarily, the Fort Wayne assembly plant will be closed for two weeks during April.
Global chip shortages continue to have negative consequences for many industries, including the automotive industry. General Motors will be the latest factory to stop production, particularly the Fort Wayne assembly plant, Reuters reporting. This is the facility that produces the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 & GMC Sierra 1500. Production will be halted for two weeks starting April 4.
“There is still uncertainty in the semiconductor supply base and we are actively working to mitigate potential problems moving forward,” GM stated in the Reuters report. The last time GM experienced production problems with its full-size trucks was in August. According to GM, there has been an improvement in the semiconductor issue. This was reported by the automaker as having occurred in August. The shortage of chips is likely to continue, despite the current crisis in Ukraine.
Reuters said that Mary Barra, GM CEO, has met with several lawmakers including Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana. The US government is considering a bill that would provide subsidies of up to $52 million to help boost production. This should, it is obvious, help to solve the US chip shortage that affects vehicle manufacturers.
Globally, many automakers have experienced production problems in the last months or so because of the chip issue. Volvo has now adjusted its production goal this year. Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has stopped production multiple times before, but the most recent is due to the disaster in Japan. Not to be missed, Chevrolet just gave the Silverado a redesign in 2022. It will increase its sales. It’s the same story as the GMC Sierra.