Elon Musk blasts chipmakers over ‘problematic’ supply
Elon Musk has fired a broadside at two of the world’s largest chip manufacturers, accusing them of hampering production of Tesla’s electric cars.
The boisterous billionaire said Tesla was “operating under extreme supply chain limitations regarding certain ‘standard’ automotive chips”.
He singled out Renesas and Bosch as the “most problematic by far”.
Car manufacturers have been hit by a global shortage of semiconductors, which has forced them to significantly reduce production.
Since February, firms such as Honda and Nissan have warned that a dearth of the chips, which are vital for power steering systems and other software components, could seriously impact their performance this year.
Tesla has proved more resilient to the issue, posting its first ever $1bn quarterly profit despite the supply chain challenges.
But this did not stop Musk from taking aim at two of the world’s major chip suppliers, which have come under fire previously for holding up vehicle production.
Japan’s Renesas was hit by a factory fire earlier this year, which further compounded production schedules.
Bosch has pledged to accelerate production after opening a new €1bn factory near Dresden in June.