According to Reuters, on January 11, Tesla announced that it would suspend most car production at its Berlin factory in Germany from January 29 to February 11, citing attacks on Red Sea ships that led to changes in transportation routes and parts. shortage. The shutdown shows how the Red Sea crisis has hit Europe's largest economy.
Tesla is the first company to disclose production disruptions due to the Red Sea crisis. Tesla said in a statement: "The tensions in the Red Sea and the resulting changes in transportation routes are also having an impact on production at its Berlin factory." After the transportation routes are changed, "transport times will also be extended, causing supply chain disruptions." gap".
Analysts expect other automakers may also be affected by the Red Sea tensions. Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions, said, "Reliance on many critical components from Asia, especially many critical components from China, has always been a potential weak link in any automaker's supply chain. Tesla relies heavily on China for its batteries. components, which need to be shipped to Europe via the Red Sea, putting production at risk.”
"I don't think Tesla is the only company affected, they're just the first to report this issue," he said.
The production suspension has increased pressure on Tesla at a time when Tesla has a labor dispute with the Swedish union IF Metall over the signing of a collective bargaining agreement, triggering sympathy strikes by many unions in the Nordic region.
Unionized workers at Hydro Extrusions, a subsidiary of Norwegian aluminum and energy company Hydro, stopped producing parts for Tesla automotive products on November 24, 2023. These workers are members of IF Metall. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on whether the strike at Hydro Extrusions affected its production. Tesla said in a statement on January 11 that the Berlin factory will resume full production on February 12. Tesla did not respond to detailed questions about which parts are in short supply and how it will resume production at that time.
Tensions in the Red Sea have forced the world's largest shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal, the fastest shipping route from Asia to Europe and accounting for about 12% of global shipping traffic.
Shipping giants such as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have sent ships around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, making the journey longer and more expensive. Maersk said on January 12 that it expects this route adjustment to continue for the foreseeable future. It is reported that after the route adjustment, the voyage from Asia to Northern Europe will increase by about 10 days, and the fuel cost will increase by about US$1 million.
Across the EV industry, European automakers and analysts have warned in recent months that sales are not growing as fast as expected, with some companies cutting prices to try to boost demand weighed down by economic uncertainty.
Post time: Jan-16-2024