Ford Halts F-150 Production in KC, GM Pauses EV Production
August 19, 2021—The global semiconductor shortage is continuing to wreak havoc on the automotive production infrastructure across the country.
Ford Motor Co. announced it will halt production of F-150 pickups at its Kansas City, Mo., assembly plant next week, and General Motors will temporarily stop production of its Bolt EV due to the shortage, according to a report from The Detroit News.
Ford cited worsening conditions in Malaysia, which is where some semiconductor chips, as a primary reason for the stoppage. Ford expects production at its plant to resume Monday, Aug. 31. While GM's Orion Assembly Plant in Lake Orion will shut down for a week, the shortage has not yet hit the OEM's trucks or full-size SUVs.
"These most recent scheduling adjustments are being driven by temporary parts shortages caused by semiconductor supply constraints from international markets experiencing COVID 19-related restrictions," GM spokesman Dave Barnas said in a statement. "We remain confident in our team’s ability to continue finding creative solutions to minimize the impact on our highest-demand and capacity-constrained vehicles.”
Image: Ford