AdamChandler
Ram Guru
via: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ces-carmakers-to-strip-out-high-tech-features Published May 6th, 2021.
Relevant Portion to this board & 5th Gen Rams I pulled out and quoted below:
later on:
More:
..and finally:
Relevant Portion to this board & 5th Gen Rams I pulled out and quoted below:
Ram no longer offers its 1500 pickups with a standard “intelligent” rearview mirror that monitors for blind spots.
later on:
Stellantis NV -- formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group -- has modified the Ram 1500 pickup so that the digital rearview mirror that usually comes standard is now available only as an upgrade option, according to a person familiar with the matter. The manufacturer is also using parts that don’t require chips from its more basic Ram Classic truck to keep the pricier version moving down the assembly line.
“Given the fluid nature of this complex issue, Stellantis employees across the enterprise are finding creative solutions every day to minimize the impact to our vehicles so we can build the most in-demand products as possible,” spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in an email.
More:
Stellantis is working on more standardization across its vehicle lineup rather than having to use specific chips for some models, Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer said on an call with reporters this week.
“More standardization and flexibility, which is key when we have supply constraints,” he said. “We’re managing scarcity.”
..and finally:
Manufacturers are also stocking incomplete cars, or “building shy” in industry parlance, to keep production lines humming. In Hamtramck, greater Detroit, an area stretching several blocks is filled with Ford F-150 pickup trucks sans some chips. General Motors said it is also storing unfinished vehicles while awaiting semiconductors.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, car suppliers are going to unusual lengths to try to secure chips. A Stellantis partner called JVIS-USA LLC tried to sue NXP in a Michigan court in April in a Hail Mary attempt to get more chips, but a judge rejected its request. Automotive supplier Visteon Corp. flagged that carmakers may seek compensation because of the shortages. In Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda visited a Renesas plant that had suffered a fire to hasten its return to production.