From hi-tech to lo-fi: why a shortage of semiconductors could deprive your next new car of high-end technology

The shortage of semiconductors hurts JLR.

The semiconductor shortage sweeping the automotive world is hurting Jaguar Land Rover's plans in Australia as the brand warns of making "difficult decisions" about what vehicles they offer and with what equipment.

The British powerhouse is not alone here: from Subaru to Jeep, from Ford to Mitsubishi, and almost everyone else is facing production problems due to shortages. As a result, automotive companies around the world, including JLR, are essentially rewinding the clock when it comes to automotive technology, and shortages are forcing some brands to ditch high-tech equipment in favor of old-school analog solutions in order to continue delivering products. cars.

There is no doubt that scarcity affects premium and luxury brands more than others due to the level of standard technology on board, and Jaguar Land Rover is no exception.

As a result, the brand is in the process of making "difficult decisions" to keep up with a car flow that has already been severely impacted by production shortages.

“Virtually all of our vehicles are high-tech and therefore high-semiconductor,” says JLR Managing Director Mark Cameron.

“We have some pretty tough decisions to make going forward. And inevitably we will have to take some action in Australia to limit the availability of certain models or specification items in order to maintain the ability to produce vehicles for this market and to satisfy our customers.”

Anticipating problems that could arise in 2022, the brand says a solution is still in the works, but noted the replacement of our high-tech digital screens in the driver's binnacle with old-school analog dials, the latter of which do not require semiconductors. . It should also be noted that vehicles currently bound for Australia will be delivered in accordance with their normal specifications.

"I can't be specific since we haven't decided yet," Cameron says. “But you should see some other manufacturers looking at a full TFT dashboard versus analog, or technologies that carry high chip density and alternatives.

"We have to make sure we live up to customer expectations, and if we make changes then obviously we're hoping to make some compensatory feature additions, but it's a very lively job."