The global shortage of chips continues to cause problems for carmakers to the point where some ship vehicles without all of their advertised features.
BMW, for example, is shipping some of its new cars without support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, according to a recent report by Car news.
In an email to affected customers, the German car giant confirmed that some vehicles manufactured between January and April this year contain chips that require updated software to be able to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The necessary update will be released “by the end of June at the latest,” the carmaker said.
The problem was reportedly the result of BMW switching chip suppliers in a bid to address the shortage in the most efficient way possible. In other words, the change of supplier prevented him from stopping deliveries while he waited for the chips to enter. Instead, he managed to add the chips to the new vendor and then ship the cars, with the only challenge being that he had to run updated software to activate certain features.
It is unclear how many customers and vehicle models are affected by BMW’s decision to ship without CarPlay and Android Auto, but Automotive News’s own study suggests the situation includes the US, British, French, Italian and Spanish carmaker markets.
While the problem may be an unwanted annoyance to customers, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, provided BMW keeps its promise to solve the problem by the end of next month. It is certainly better than the car manufacturer to hold the car while the functionality can be added.
Digital Trends has contacted BMW for more information on the situation and we will update this article when we receive a response.
BMW’s decision to deliver vehicles without all the advertised features is similar to the moves made by other car companies in recent months. Ford, for example, also cites global chip shortages for its decision to ship some of its Explorer SUVs without special features, although it has promised to add them when the chips become available.
In Ford’s case, this meant supplying some of its Explorers without functionality for rear-seat controls that control heating, ventilation and air conditioning, although they can be operated from the driver’s seat.
Caused by pandemic problems in the supply chain and other factors, the chip shortage is not expected to end soon, with Intel’s chief saying last month it could take several more years for his company to cope. with the situation.
Recommendations of the editors
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/bmw-ships-cars-without-apple-and-google-tech/
