The global microchip shortage has hit the automotive industry. The problem affects BMW like others. Edmunds figured out how the Bavarian brand tried to get out of the situation.
The microchip shortages have been causing significant delays in the supply of new vehicles. Some brands already give up to 14 months. BMW tries to solve this problem by ditching certain equipment in some of its models.
BMW’s US division has admitted that it produces devices without touch functionality on the infotainment screen. At the moment, this applies to models intended for the United States, more precisely the current versions of the 3 and 4 Series, the Z4 roadster, X5, X6 and X7 crossovers, as well as the new 4 Series Gran Coupe, Edmunds reports.
A recent post on the BMW Bimmerfest forum states that some BMW models will be delivered without a touchscreen starting this week. The infotainment system still works, but owners of the aforementioned models will not be able to touch their screens to navigate the iDrive. Instead, they will have to rely entirely on the iDrive controller located in the center console.
BMW USA, when asked by Edmunds, explains that “This measure is a result of the industry-wide supply chain issues which are affecting automotive manufacturing worldwide and causing limitations on the availability of some features or options.”
According to the report, the aforementioned vehicles will go into production this week. Affected customers will receive a $500 discount on their vehicles, which is a dubious consolation.
