Volkswagen no longer believes the chip shortage will end in 2023 and the German automaker is preparing for a “new normal” of supply chain disruptions, Murat Aksel, head of procurement on the Volkswagen board, said Monday. Aksel said in an interview that “investment in new capacity is now on track, but there will probably still be a structural shortage of semiconductors by 2023.”
“This is a structural issue that cannot be resolved so quickly,” he added.
On the other hand, the shortage of wiring harnesses that emerged after the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in February this year is no longer a problem, he said: “It’s starting to stabilize again.”
However, Axel warned: “From what we’ve seen in the supply chain over the past two years, this is a new normal,” adding that VW is investing heavily in early detection.
“As new geopolitical issues emerge, if any, it will become more complex and challenging,” he said.
