Subaru parks plans to make 58,000 cars due to brakes on silicon supply chain

Japanese auto-maker Subaru announced Monday that it is making “production adjustments” - aka making fewer cars - due to semiconductor supply chain issues. The decision impacts the Yajima plant in Gunma Prefecture, which makes the Legacy sedan and Forester SUV. The factory was scheduled for a holiday break to commemorate Japan’ …

[Potemkine!]

Two thoughts:

- Closing factories because they aren't profitable enough and letting just enough of them to feed the whole supply chain is a logical consequence of the shareholders greed. Creating SPOF isn't such a great idea. Will the lesson be learned? I doubt that.

- Feeding all cars with a lot of electronic things, which make cars heavier and less reliable, isn't always a good idea. It's maybe time for Subaru to look at a lower segment, and make a more basic and less expensive car.

[Neil Barnes]

a more basic and less expensive car.

But, but, but... how will we make a profit on that, if it doesn't have all the pointless toys? How will the punters tell our car from any other maker's?

Surely everybody knows that the way to make profit is to build something cheap and sell it for a fortune?

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: a more basic and less expensive car.

"How will the punters tell our car from any other maker's?"

Because it does what its driver tells it and not something of its own volition? Sounds like a win to me - I like the car I drive to behave predictably.

[Chris G]

Hmmm! Radical thinking, a lighter weight, reliable and repairable car that allows a driver to drive it!

Do you think people would go for such a thing?

[onemark03]

Do you think people would go for such a thing?

I'm quite sure there's a market for non-digitised or non-computerised motor cars. Someone just needs to bite the bullet.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Do you think people would go for such a thing?

A non-digitised or non-computerised car would never pass modern safety and emission regulations, obviously.

Analogue airbags and carburettors?

[Binraider]

Re: Do you think people would go for such a thing?

There's this thing, called buying any car made from before ~1975. Ford were using ECU's in one form or another as far back as that. By 1985, an engine without an ECU was a rarity.

[Pascal Monett]

Re: Creating SPOF isn't such a great idea

And yet industry keeps on doing it, eh Boeing ?

Honesty though, you can saddle a car with a lot of electronics before it starts getting weighed down. Do you really think the camera on your smartphone is the heaviest part ? Of course not.

And since cars these days have the processing capacity, well, would be a shame not to use it, I guess.

But not for phoning home. That is never acceptable.

[Locomotion69]

Except that from the middle of next year, everything electronic which is now considered a gadget of some sort will be compulsary on a new car in the EU:

intelligent speed assistance,

alcohol interlock installation facilitation,

driver drowsiness and attention warning systems,

advanced driver distraction warning systems,

emergency stop signals,

reversing detection systems,

event data recorders,

accurate tyre pressure monitoring,

advanced emergency braking systems,

emergency lane-keeping systems,

enlarged head impact protection zones capable of mitigating injuries in collisions with vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

My Subaru from 2018 has most of these already installed, not sure about the alcohol interlock thing though.

Cons: more weight, more electronic reliance, and definitely (a lot) more cost.

[jmch]

"which make cars heavier and less reliable"

Cars weigh about a ton and a half. US cars closer to 2 tons. The huge majority of that is engine components, chassis, bodywork and interiors. Chips weigh a few grams, and even complex wiring looms don't weigh more than a few kg. Sure, things like power seats, windows, mirrors, tailgate need motors and / or hydraulics, but also need just simple switches without complex chips so I'm not sure this is what is being talked about here.

With regards to reliability, chippery doesn't necessarily make things less reliable, it's much more down to build quality. Mechanical / analogue stuff will, and does, fail if crappily built. Electronic / digital stuff can last a long time if built well

[Doctor Syntax]

At some point you have to get from the (allegedly) unreliable mechanical/analogue domain to the (allegedly) reliable electronic/digital domain. Something that sensors handle. So far my not very automated car has had two wheel rotation sensors fail.

[hoola]

I think the biggest issue is the one that plagues all consumer tech - software updates & compatibility.

It is absolutely no use to anyone (other than the manufacturer) if we end up with vehicles that are mechanically perfectly serviceable being scrapped after 10 years, maybe even worse, 5 or 6 years because a stupid software component that is absolutely critical to the operation of the vehicle cannot be updated.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

>Electronic / digital stuff can last a long time if built well

The trouble is that you are locked to the manufacturer supporting it.

The same manufacturer that wants you to buy a new model and can lock out any 3rd party bit containing software

[MiguelC]

Re: "Production at other plants is not affected. Subaru has previously continued to pay workers during unscheduled breaks in production, so staff may not have a horrible time of it during their extended breaks."

That's the way you treat your workforce in civilised countries . If not just because of good ethics, because of strong labour protection.

[onemark03]

That's the way you treat your workforce in civilised countries.

Utterly admirable, treating personnel as a resource, not a cost. ("Look after your people and they'll look after you.")

Probably what American manufacturers would call communism - if they could spell the word.

[Anonymous Coward]

Would you also describe Japan's immigration policy as "civilized"? Or their attitude to women in the workplace, or non-heterosexual relationships?

[Chris G]

Alcohol Interlock Installation

You mean they will come with a bar?

I assume the interlock bit means you can't drive if you have opened a bottle.

[MrReynolds2U]

Re: Alcohol Interlock Installation

Car: "Urgh! Dave, clean your teeth, will you? You're not drunk but you shouldn't go anywhere near anybody today with that smell coming from your mouth."

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Alcohol Interlock Installation

Open the Buckfast HAL

I'm sorry Dave I can't do that

[Binraider]

Very happily owned two different Scoobs in the past 11 years. A lot of the range are held back by poor engine and gearbox options versus the market they are interested in (i.e. BMW/Audi/Merc estate drivers). All the competition offer anything from 4-pot diesels to V8 petrol lunacy. Unfortunately investing in engines at this point is possibly a bit of a false economy with bans on sales coming "soon". Yet, who on earth thought the 1.6 in the Levorg was a good idea; and making it the only option?

They not long ago announced they would be doing Hybrids in the not too distant future, which I'm not a convert to because of the maths (lugging a big battery and an engine round long distances does not equate to fuel efficiency); though an all-electric I would probably have some interest in once the charging infrastructure is there.

Still waiting on the Cosworth BRZ actually being available to buy. Long wait to come one suspects.

[Anonymous Coward]

ARM

I wonder if this is partly down to arm's business model and the way it is embedded in custom chips rather than multiple discreet components. I.e. Arm's success has led to a large demand for ASICs which is stressing a supply chain that was created for mass production.

If so this will continue for a while..