A global semiconductor shortage is forcing Audi to put more than 10,000 workers on furlough and delay the production of some cars, CEO Markus Duesmann told the Financial Times.
Overall output for 2021 shouldn’t be affected because the company expects to make up for lost time in the second half, Duesmann said in the interview published Sunday.
Duesmann said Audi will "do everything we can to keep it below 10,000 [fewer models produced] for the first quarter."
The supply challenge came as Audi saw unexpected rise in demand for cars, largely due to a rebound in China, he said.
Audi, Volkswagen, Ford and Daimler are all reducing production at factories in Germany because of a shortage of microchips.
VW had said last month that it is bracing for a major production disruption in first-quarter manufacturing around the globe because of the bottleneck. VW brand is reducing production at its Wolfsburg and Emden plants.