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Tag: Detroit Free Press

  • Chip Shortage Shuts Down Almost All GM’s North American Production

    Chip Shortage Shuts Down Almost All GM’s North American Production

    GM is shutting down production at almost all of its North American plants as a result of the global chip shortage.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global semiconductor shortage. Initially, it started as a result of production delays from lockdowns and quarantine, and was exacerbated by increased demand for computers, tablets and consoles, as well as GPUs for crypto mining.

    The auto industry has been particularly hard hit, with almost every major manufacturer slowing or halting production as a result of the shortage. GM had previously announced it would ship some 2021 trucks without their full complement of fuel economy chips, leading the vehicles to get 1 MPG less than previous models.

    Now GM is halting production altogether at most of its North American plants. According to Detroit Free Press, production will continue in Arlington Assembly, Flint Assembly, Bowling Green Assembly and part of Lansing Grand River Assembly. All other plants, however, will halt production.

    Chipmakers are working hard to increase production, with even Intel pivoting to making automotive chips in an effort to help ease the strain. Unfortunately, it will still be some time before supply catches up to demand.

  • Ford Delaying Mustang Mach-E Deliveries For Quality Review

    Ford Delaying Mustang Mach-E Deliveries For Quality Review

    Ford customers are in for a bit of disappointment, as the automaker is delaying some Mustang Mach-E deliveries for quality reviews.

    An electric SUV, the Mach-E is one of the most highly-anticipated vehicles, and is considered to be a real challenger to Tesla’s dominance in the electric vehicle market. The SUV was even named North American Utility Vehicle of the Year at the 2021 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards.

    Customers looking forward to getting behind the wheel will need to wait a bit longer, however, as they began receiving emails Thursday evening that their orders would be delayed.

    The Detroit Free Press received confirmation from Ford that a few deliveries were already made in December. However, the company confirmed several hundred deliveries would be delayed.

    “As part of our commitment to delivering high-quality vehicles, we are conducting additional quality checks on several hundred Mustang Mach-E models built before dealer shipments started last month. We want to ensure they meet the quality our customers expect and deserve,” Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg told the Free Press.

    “We notified affected customers (several hundred in US and Canada) that they may receive their Mustang Mach-Es on different timing than previously discussed,” she continued. “The team is working to expedite these vehicles, and we hope that customers receive them ahead of targeted dates, providing there are no COVID-19-related transportation delays.”

    While disappointing for Ford’s customers, the company is obviously concerned with making sure they get this launch perfect. Given what’s at stake, and Ford’s increasingly rivalry with Tesla, it’s understandable that they’re not taking any chances.

  • GM May Build More Hummer EVs Due to Overwhelming Response

    GM May Build More Hummer EVs Due to Overwhelming Response

    GM appears to have a hit on its hands with the Edition 1 of the Hummer EV pickup truck, and may build more to meet demand.

    GM acquired the Hummer brand from the original military Humvee maker, AM General. GM proceeded to make civilian models, which came to epitomize the gas-guzzling SUV. When GM went through its financial issues, ultimately resulting in bankruptcy, the Hummer brand was retired by the company.

    In January it was announced the Hummer would return, this time as an electric vehicle. The very thing that made it a costly, inefficient traditional SUV — its size — worked in its favor as an EV platform, providing ample room for batteries and electric motors.

    The Hummer EV Edition 1 is a limited edition model that was available for preorder in October. According to Detroit Free Press, a dealer who attended a national dealer meeting indicated the Hummer was already wildly popular:

    The Hummer Edition 1 sold out in 10 minutes and they said they had enough orders for it to fulfill their first year of production currently. But they are evaluating if they can build more.

    GM clearly has a hit on their hands with the new Hummer, and the preorder success will no doubt educate their future plans for the EV.