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These Features Won’t Be Available On New Cars Due To Chip Shortage
The shortage of semi-conductor chips globally, which began last year, has affected a wide range of industries.
Approximately 170 industries have felt the crunch. They include automobiles, computers, medical equipment, and other electronic devices.
The automotive sector is one of the most hit industries by chip scarcity.
The semiconductor chip shortage is now expected to cost the global automotive industry $210 billion in revenue in 2021, according to consulting firm AlixPartners.
To accommodate the scarce semi-conductors, automakers are now manufacturing cars without certain features. The good news, though, is that some of these features can be added back in later.
In this article, we highlight some features in some models that are missing because of the scarcity of chips.
Chevrolet/GMC: Heated Seats and Steering Wheels
2021 Chevrolet Silverado interior
From November 15, most GM SUVs and pickups will lose their heated and ventilated seats.
This includes the Chevrolet Silverado, Traverse (except the High Country model), Blazer, and Equinox, and the GMC Sierra, Acadia (except the Denali), Canyon, and Terrain.
According to reports, GM, in a letter to dealers, said that this change is going to last throughout the 2022 model year.
Mercedes-Benz: Premium Audio, LED Lights, and More
It was reported in October that Mercedes-Benz had to eliminate some features from various models earlier in the year.
The list includes wireless smartphone charging pads, hands-free rear access systems, some LED headlights, and some audio systems. The AMG models were hit particularly hard.
Chevrolet/GMC: HD Radio
Earlier in the year, GM announced that it would eliminate the HD radio option from its audio systems.
This is because it couldn’t get the chip-dependent hardware it needed to offer this feature.
Multiple trims of the model year 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s and GMC Sierra 1500s, as well as 2022 model year 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups were affected by this change.
The affected trims include the Silverado LS, RST, LT, Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country and the SLE, SLT, Elevation, AT4 and Denali Sierras.
Tesla: USB Ports, Passenger-Seat Lumbar
In May, Tesla quietly removed lumbar support from the front passenger seat in the Model 3 and Model Y EVs.
Recently, another feature was silently deleted from the spec sheet: USB-C ports in the rear of the center console of the Model 3 and Model Y.
Nissan: Navigation Systems
2021 Nissan Sentra-interior
Due to supply issues with other, non-chip components, Nissan stopped applying the spray-in Bedliner on the model year 2022 Frontier and Titan trucks on October 28.
BMW: Touchscreen
In late October, BMW announced that it would remove touchscreen functionality from the Central Information Display in several models.
The affected models include the 3-series, 4-series coupe and convertible, 4-series Gran Coupe (excluding i4), Z4, and all variants of the X5, X6, and X7 (pictured).
GM: Auto Stop-Start
In June, GM said that a small number of trucks—the 2021 Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500—would not come with fuel-saving stop-start technology if they have the 10-speed automatic transmission with either the 5.3-liter or 6.2-liter V-8 engines.
Porsche: 18-Way Adjustable Seat, Electric Steering Column Adjustment
Porsche told its U.S. dealers that a popular option for the Macan SUV, the 18-way adjustable seat, would not be available for several months because the automaker couldn’t get the chips.
Another temporary feature missing from some new Porsches is electric steering column adjustment.
Ford: Satellite Navigation
It has been reported that Ford was building some models at its plant in Turkey without certain features, including satellite navigation.
GM: V-8 Cylinder Deactivation
In March, GM announced that some 2021 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra models would use more gas because of the chip shortage.
Some models with the 5.3-liter V-8 engine, either the six- or eight-speed automatic transmission, and either Active Fuel Management or Dynamic Fuel Management would not have their cylinder-deactivation systems.
What this means is that the trucks would increase their fuel usage by one mile per gallon.
Cadillac: Super Cruise (Now Resumed)
In September, Cadillac announced it would still build its flagship Escalade SUV, only without one of the vehicle’s flagship features: the Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology.
Cadillac later confirmed that Super Cruise is once again available in new Escalades.
GM: Wireless Charging
General Motors, which announced this summer that Wireless charging would not be available in some versions of many of its vehicles.
The list of affected models includes 2021 Chevy Tahoe (pictured), Suburban, and GMC Yukon SUVs as well as the 2022 Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, and Cadillac XT5 and XT6.
Anyone who buys one of these vehicles without the charging pad will get a $75 credit.
