After a brief remission, the global automotive "core shortage" situation has intensified again. According to data released by AFS, global car companies this week due to chip shortage plans to reduce production significantly by 42% compared with the previous estimate. Since the beginning of this year, global automobile production has been reduced by 929,500 units, compared with the previous estimate of only 656,200 units.
At the same time, in the electric vehicle market, the soaring price of core raw materials for power batteries has also put pressure on major car companies. Since March, nearly 40 models of nearly 20 new energy vehicle companies in China have raised their prices, ranging from thousands of yuan to tens of thousands of yuan.
After a brief remission, the global automotive "core shortage" situation has intensified again. According to data released by AutoForecast Solutions (AFS), a car forecaster for the automotive industry, global car companies this week are planning to reduce production by 42% compared with previous estimates.
Since the beginning of this year, global automobile production has been reduced by 929,500 units, compared with the previous estimate of only 656,200 units. Factories in Europe and Asia suffered the hardest last week, with AFS estimating that European auto plants cut production by about 110,000 units and Asian plants outside China by 106,200 units.
In the Asian market, Toyota Motor motor said last week that it plans to cut production in Japan by 20%, 10% and 5% respectively from April to June due to shortages of supplier parts. Japan has been greatly affected by the chip shortage this year, according to AFS statistics, Japan has cut production by about 171,400 vehicles this year, second only to the United States' 205,800 vehicles.
At the same time, South Korea, which is close to Japan, has also been disrupted by global chip shortages and the spread of the epidemic. According to the News of the South Korean Automotive Industry, the delivery time of a number of new cars has been postponed again in recent days, and the latest delivery schedule released by Hyundai Motor to dealers in South Korea shows that the delivery time of many products of Hyundai and Kia has been extended by 1-4 months.
Some analysts believe that the reason for the shortage of chips in this round is the shortage of neon gas supply caused by the recent international tensions. It is reported that neon gas is indispensable in the chip manufacturing process, according to South Korean media reports, the two Ukrainian suppliers that currently account for nearly half of the total global production of neon gas have interrupted production. The report pointed out that the supply of neon gas will make it more difficult for South Korean car companies to purchase chips. At the same time, in the electric vehicle market, the soaring price of the core raw materials for the production of power batteries has also put Pressure on Korean battery companies.
The soaring prices of lithium, cobalt and nickel, the core raw materials of power batteries, have been transmitted to China, which has also pushed up the production costs of new energy vehicle companies. Among them, the price of lithium salt recently exceeded 500,000 yuan / ton, while a year ago its price was only 50,000 yuan / ton; The price of nickel has also hit a record high in the past week, with an irrational surge in LME nickel in the futures market, and the price of Shanghai nickel, although it has been adjusted, is still at a high level.
In summary, the growth of the manufacturing cost of new energy vehicles, the policy factors of superimposed subsidies and then 30% decline and termination at the end of the year, domestic new energy vehicle companies have opened a price increase model. According to CCTV Financial Report, since March, nearly 40 models of nearly 20 new energy vehicle companies have raised their prices, ranging from thousands of yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. (China Economic Network Chen Mengyu/Editor)