From the editor
Greetings CAR readers. What a year 2021 is turning out to be. According to the most recent NAAMSA figures, new-car sales for March showed an impressive upturn. The 31,8% increase versus March last year was the first bit of positive news in the motor trade after the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the flip side, with the demand for new cars returning, the full extent of 2020 lockdown – the temporary suspension of vehicle and component manufacturing, and associated restrictions in shipping – is only now being brought to bear.
A shortage of microchips from Asian chip manufacturers – Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics being the largest manufacturers – has resulted in massive backlogs at automotive (and technology) production facilities all over the world. Plants on several continents have had to temporarily shut down production lines owing to the reduction of these semiconductors. Some are continuing with production and simply storing the cars till the chips arrive. While big tech companies like Intel have said they’ll step in to try to make up the shortfall, even in its most accelerated form, such an undertaking will take six to eight months to come online and longer still to redress the shortage. Crazy to think these waferthin pieces of semiconducting material – of which modern cars need upwards of 12 nowadays – can threaten to bring the whole shooting match to a grinding halt. The knock-on effect, of course, is that many of the cars slated for arrival this year, already delayed from 2020 in some cases, could be pushed back yet again.
Thankfully, CAR has experienced no delay on the next front. This month we’re delighted to welcome our new web editor Jason Woosey into the fold, who joins us after a 10-year stint at Independent Media. Leaving his post as editor of IOL Motoring, we’re sure his wealth of knowledge and experience will find great voice at South Africa’s oldest and mostrespected motoring title and we look forward to starting a new digital chapter with him at the helm.
Enjoy the issue.