# Meanwhile, at GM & Ford

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [April 9, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059 "2021-04-09T15:02:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059/1 "2021-04-09T15:02:37Z")

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… production continues to be handicapped by chip shortages.

> **[GM idles more North American plants as chip shortage drags on – TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/08/gm-idles-more-north-american-plants-as-chip-shortage-drags-on/?utm_source=morning_brew)**
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> General Motors is idling more plants and extending shutdowns at other facilities in North America due to a continued shortage of semiconductor chips that are used to control myriad operations in vehicles, including the infotainment, power steering...

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059/2 "2021-04-09T15:54:56Z")

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In contrast, Toyota has it under control (no surprise):  
[Toyota Was Ready For The Chip Shortage. Why Wasn’t Anyone Else? (jalopnik.com)](https://jalopnik.com/toyota-prepared-for-the-chip-shortage-years-ago-why-di-1846641653)

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**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059/3 "2021-04-09T16:47:50Z")

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We’ve had this discussion on JIT before so no point in whipping a dead horse, but failure to warehouse has consequences. What does it cost a day to have an idle plant?

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059/4 "2021-04-09T17:54:21Z")

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> [@bing](#):
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> failure to warehouse has consequences

As does extending the supply chain offshore halfway around the globe.

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**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/meanwhile-at-gm-ford/176059/5 "2021-04-09T23:29:28Z")

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Many companies found that out and developed domestic suppliers instead. There’s a PWB assembly company in Baltimore that built a business building boards for companies that became disenchanted with Chinese manufacturers. While the up front cost was low, the cost of errors from language issues, delivery delay costs, and cost to visit the factories drove many companies back home. Meetings at 11am here are at 1am there. Even phone conversations or online meetings are a hardship.