According to Kedglobal, Infineon, an automotive semiconductor supplier that supplies power module chips (IGBTs) to Hyundai’s IONIQ 5, has produced a large number of defective products. The possibility of disruption of IONIQ5 production from this month has increased as all 2-month-old chips were discarded.
According to the report, Infineon recently confirmed the defective power module chips produced from the beginning of April to the beginning of June, saying that they were specifically defective in the process of replacing the existing nitrogen ions and injecting the latest process of aluminum ions.
The chips produced in early April should have been supplied to Hyundai from mid-August. However, all of them were abandoned and could not be supplied properly. Considering the defective products up to the beginning of June, the supply disruption is expected to continue at least until mid-October.
Hyundai is in discussions with Infineon and other global suppliers of in-vehicle semiconductors to find a solution for IONIQ 5 that does not interrupt production. However, industry forecasts say Infineon will find it difficult to significantly shorten the supply schedule. Infineon sources said the company is concerned that global semiconductor supply shortages will intensify in the short term and is doing its best to meet minimum demand.
If production is disrupted, the IONIQ 5 will have a longer wait time to be shipped. For IONIQ 5 models, even this month’s contract will require a wait of more than 1 year.
