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| Volkswagen wants to compensate for the shortage of chipsets |
A spokesman for Germany's Volkswagen said on Sunday that the company is negotiating with major suppliers over potential claims for compensation for the semiconductor shortage.
A Volkswagen spokesperson added: For Volkswagen, minimizing the impact of the shortage in semiconductor production is a top priority. The company hopes to work closely with suppliers to solve this problem.
The spokesman added that the exchange also includes a review of claims for damages with suppliers between affected carmaker Bosch and Continental (including chip suppliers in Taiwan and other Asian countries).
Soon after the first shutdown in the spring, Volkswagen notified its suppliers that production had risen again to the level it was before the pandemic, industry insiders said.
Sources indicated that semiconductor manufacturers have shifted manufacturing to other high-growth industries such as consumer electronics, resulting in a shortage of chips for car customers. .
Automobilwoche reports that Volkswagen is negotiating with other semiconductor suppliers, but there are concerns that this could drive up prices.
The magazine reported that Volkswagen wants to make sure that Bosch and Continental share the burden and partly bear the additional costs.
A Bosch spokesperson said: The company is currently keen to maintain the supply chain as much as possible, adding: We are discussing all aspects of the semiconductor shortage directly with customers and suppliers.
Federal Economy Minister Peter Altmire has urged his Taiwan counterpart (Wang Mihua) to persuade Taiwanese chip makers to reduce the semiconductor shortage in the auto industry and impede the recovery from the coronavirus epidemic.
Altmire asked Wang to solve this problem at a meeting with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC is the world's largest chip manufacturer and one of the leading German suppliers.
Berlin now plans to increase state support to increase semiconductor production capacity in Germany and Europe, to reduce dependence on Asian suppliers and avoid problems similar to those in the European Union.