The Omicron option could exacerbate the chronic shortage of microchips in the auto industry, warning the auto giant Nissan. Makoto Uchida said it was too early to tell when regular deliveries would resume and thus finished cars. “I can’t give you a date. However, this new option could put pressure on it, so how well we respond will be very important,” he told the News.
Products from cars, washing machines, and smartphones rely on computer chips. The impact is compounded by increasing demand as people working from home need laptops, tablets, and webcams to get their work done. “We have a shortage of semiconductors as an industry. And how we recover from that is very important,” Uchida told the BBC.
Japan has banned incoming flights from overseas in response to international concerns about the Omicron variant, which was first discovered in South Africa. Mr. Uchida’s comments come as Nissan announces its vehicle electrification strategy, which includes a proposed launch of 23 electrified models by 2030. And a target of 75% of its European sales of EVs by 2026.
Nissan announced a £1 billion investment earlier this year to turn its Sunderland, UK plant into an electric vehicle hub.
His goals for China and the United States are much more ambitious. Nissan expects 40% of cars sold in China will be electric or hybrid by 2026, while in the US, it expects the same percentage in 2030 due to slower uptake by consumers. At the recent COP26 climate summit. Nissan, along with Toyota, VW and BMW, refused to join Ford and Volvo in signing a pledge to phase it out by 2040.
Nissan is also investing more money in developing solid-state batteries. Which the industry hopes will eventually prove to be more efficient than today’s standard lithium-ion batteries.
Mr. Uchida said Nissan remained committed to its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi, descendants of former Nissan boss Carlos Gon. Exiled in Beirut after being smuggled out of Japan for financial crimes pending prosecution. Mr. Gon vehemently denies the accusations.