“The volatile situation will keep us busy at least for the first half of the year,” Purchasing Director Murat Aksel told Automobilwoche. There is currently a slight relaxation in the supply situation, but the recovery is “unfortunately not yet so sustainable that I can already give the all-clear.” Aksel expects at least another slight improvement in the second half of the year.
However, there will probably only be a real upward trend next year. “In 2023, when the capacities that semiconductor manufacturers are now building arrive on the market, predictions should actually become more reliable,” says Aksel. “The issue is also structural,” he added. “The corresponding challenges will keep us busy for a long time.” Because the demand for semiconductors in all sectors remains high and will even increase in the automotive sector.
According to Aksel, VW is working to better prepare for future bottlenecks. In the case of critical components, one could examine whether to set up secondary suppliers in a targeted manner. However, he ruled out his own chip production.
Claims for damages against suppliers because of the sluggish supply of semiconductors are not yet an issue for VW. Aksel emphasized: “Of course, the contracts with our partners also contain delivery obligations, which we naturally refer to.” But: “The priority at the moment is the availability of the critical components. And I can only solve this task in partnership with our suppliers. That’s what we’re focusing on.”
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