2021 MISCELLANEOUS

FAIL OF THE YEAR

COMPUTER CHIP SHORTAGES

What a year – Brexit, the pandemic, a crashed cargo ship, no lorry drivers, bad weather and more have all conspired to cripple the global car industry just when it didn’t need the hassle.

Of course, some of it is misfortune, but the ongoing production problems have highlighted the fragility of the supply chain. And just how unimportant the auto industry is to modern life.

We’re used to going to restaurants where there’s chips with everything, but now more everyday products than ever need silicon assistance. While carmakers were cutting back during the pandemic, consumer appliance manufacturers were ramping up to meet increased demand, and post-COVID the car companies have found