The shortage of electronic chips is plunging the European car market. The latter returned in September to its 1995 level, with 718,598 new cars sold, a drop of 23.1% over one year, the Association of European Manufacturers announced on Friday (October 15th) in a press release.
The main markets recorded double-digit declines – with Germany falling 25.7%, Italy 32.7%, France 20.5% and Spain 15.7% – between September 2020 and September 2021. Cumulatively since the start of 2021, more than 7.5 million vehicles have nevertheless been sold, ie 500,000 more vehicles than last year during the same period.
In September 2020, manufacturers were able to bounce back from the confinements, but the press release points out that September 2021 was marked by the “Lack of vehicles caused by the shortage of semiconductors”, these chips, which are essential to the manufacture of cars that are increasingly equipped with electronic systems, from the engine to ABS, including airbags and parking assistance.
The demand for components is very strong in the automotive sector, yet in a context of recovery of activity after the lifting of health restrictions, manufacturers find themselves in competition with other industries greedy in chips – computers, smartphones, connected objects – which capture a large part of these parts, most of which are made in Asia.
A situation that should last in 2022
Unless this shortage “Cannot be resolved quickly, the outlook should be further reduced” in October, said Tuesday, October 12 the British Association of Builders (SMMT). This situation “Should last a good part of 2022” especially since “New outbreaks of the Delta variant of Covid affect producing nations [de semi-conducteurs] important in East Asia ”.
In September, only the Hyundai-Kia group posted higher sales.
But over the first nine months of the year, the leaders Volkswagen and Stellantis float with an increase of 8.1% in sales for the German group and 8.3% for the Franco-Italian-American, after a catastrophic year 2020. .
Despite the good scores of Dacia, the Renault group has posted declining sales since the start of the year (- 6.5%), like Daimler (- 5.6%), Ford (- 11.2 %) or Nissan (- 12.4%). BMW-Mini posted an increase of 10.9%, Toyota 19.8% and Volvo 7.4%.