After unprecedented shortages, caused in particular by the health care crisis and technological advances in our cars, The Volkswagen Group takes the lead and begins purchasing directly from a dozen manufacturersincluding NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies and Renesas Electronics, semiconductors in anticipation of a possible new global shortage.
In October last year “The manufacturer has begun to enter into direct agreements with the manufacturers of microcircuits to guarantee the security of its supply”according to Skoda director of procurement Carsten Schnacke, who is also responsible for the Volkswagen Group’s COMPASS (Cross Operational Management Parts & Supply Security) working group for component sourcing.
Cars or computers?
The growing electrification of vehicles and the trend toward more frequent use of auxiliary functions for autonomous driving are increasing the demand for semiconductors.
“In 1978, only eight semiconductors were installed in the control unit of the Porsche 911. Today, the Skoda Enyaq has around 90 semiconductors with around 8,000 electronic components.”“, the press release of Volkswagen says.
According to the manufacturer, by 2030, the cost of electronic car components will more than doublecompared to the current average of around €600 per vehicle.
“Today, the automotive industry ranks fifth among major buyers with global semiconductor purchases of approximately US$47 billion”, – said Volkswagen. By 2030 The industry is expected to rank third with a market size of approximately $147 billion.
Semiconductors, the new black gold for Volkswagen?
Volkswagen and Franco-Italian chipmaker STMicroelectronics announced plans to jointly develop a new semiconductor last July, marking Volkswagen’s first direct relationship with a semiconductor supplier.
The German government has enlisted the world’s largest chip manufacturers by giving them billions of euros in subsidies. American company Intel and a Taiwanese company have announced plans to build plants in the country this year.
The manufacturer is also planning reduce the variety of chips needed for vehicles to simplify the supply chainwhich will also help simplify the software offering.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.