Production at Seat's main plant in Martorell, near Barcelona, and at two VW plants that build Seat vehicles is currently disrupted because of the continuing chip shortage as well as supply issues linked to the war, Griffiths said Wednesday at Seat's annual news conference.
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has caused disruptions at some auto assembly plants and prompted companies to suspend shipments to Russia, affecting virtually all automakers across Europe.
VW Group, so far, has bounced back quickly from parts shortages caused by the war. It restarted production faster than planned at its Wolfsburg plant.
Martorell, which builds the Seat Ibiza small hatchback, Seat/Cupra Leon compact hatchback and the Cupra Formentor compact crossover, is operating at a lower level because of a lack of chips, "and will be further impacted by a lack of essential parts from Ukraine," he said.
Griffiths said the slowdown mainly affects the Leon and Formentor assembly line, particularly for plug-in hybrid versions; the line is currently working on two daily shifts instead of three.
Griffiths added that production of the full-electric Cupra Born in Zwickau, Germany, has been temporarily interrupted and that production of the Seat Tarraco midsize SUV in Wolfsburg, Germany, has been put on hold due to a lack of parts coming from Ukraine.
The impact of the war in Ukraine is likely to overshadow the semiconductor shortage issue this year, Griffiths said. Seat is not only concerned about a lack of parts from Ukraine, he said, but also about the supply and cost of energy, and the effects on inflation and macroeconomic issues. He cited secondary effects such as a truck drivers' strike in Spain to protest rising fuel prices.
