*Ford Motor Company has disclosed it will sell some Explorer Sport-Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to consumers without rear seat temperature controls, but consumers who purchase one of these vehicles will receive an unspecified price break

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

In view of the persistent shortage of the essential semiconductor material for automobile production worldwide, Ford Motor Company has disclosed that it will sell some Explorer Sport-Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to consumers without rear seat temperature controls.

绿帽献妻 reports the computer chips shortage, since the outbreak of the damaging Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has compelled several leading automakers to do all they can to keep producing and selling vehicles for the time being.

Some Ford SUV models聽 聽Photo: DealerFire

Ford also noted that the chip shortage plaguing automakers may be getting worse for a while.

The leading automobile manufacturer stated it plans to ship some Explorer SUVs without the rear seat temperature controls because of the shortage of computer chips.

However, as an incentive, the company noted that consumers who purchase one of these vehicles will receive an unspecified price break.

The company said it would be taking this step, going forward, as a way to get more of its vehicles onto dealer lots and alleviate the new vehicle shortage that has persisted since mid-2020, agency report stated.

It also explained that such vehicles without rear seat controls will be standard in all other respects, with full temperature controls in the dashboard.

The company鈥檚 only other alternative, Ford further said, is to park the unfinished vehicles and wait.

The company stated most automobile manufacturers applied this measure last year, resulting in 11.3 million fewer new cars and trucks on the market because of the global shortage of computer chips.

Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst at iSeeCars.com, told ConsumerAffairs, that 鈥渢here鈥檚 no clear path to solving this (chip shortage) yet.

鈥淚f anything, the last two or three weeks suggest it could get worse before it gets better.鈥�

The Russia-Ukraine war factor in computer chips production

The recent trouble that the automotive industry is facing is being caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war right in Ukraine, report said.

While Ukraine country does not produce computer chips, the European country does supply half of the world鈥檚 neon gas, which is used in semiconductor production.

Gas production facilities in Ukraine have closed amid the Russian invasion, according to report.

With no end to the chip shortage in sight, other automakers could adopt Ford鈥檚 model by finishing cars and trucks that lack non-critical functions. Ford previously took that step with its best-selling F-150 pickup.

In 2021, Ford gave buyers the option of purchasing an F-150 without a feature called automatic stop-start, which turns off the entire when the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

However, in order to compensate consumers at the time, the automaker offered a $50 credit.

Likewise, General Motors (GM) has eliminated wireless device charging on some models and some infotainment features that require computer chips.

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