Por Giulio Piovaccari
COMO, Italy (Reuters) – The chief executive of automaker Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, said on Friday he does not expect improvement in the semiconductor supply chain before 2023.
“The semiconductor supply is still very short, the situation is very similar to 2021. I would say 2022 would not bring a big improvement,” Tavares said at an event in Como to promote Alfa Romeo’s new Tonale SUV.
He added that the automaker’s recent business forecasts were conservative and will be maintained.
Tavares said the main difference from last year is that the number of suppliers experiencing problems is now lower, with many having established better control of their operations and supply chains.
“Right now, Stellantis is hampered by a low number of chip vendors, at most three or four,” he said.
Tavares said the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has so far been marginal on the group’s revenue, but that the conflict has hampered the business environment for automakers.
The owner of the Fiat and Peugeot brands said it was unaffected so far by Russia’s decision to stop delivering natural gas to Poland, where the group has three factories.
