Ford has decided to shut down production at one of its German plants for a month, following a lack of computer chips and weak demand, CNN reports.
Ford Saarlouis plant would be closed from Monday, January 18, until February 19. This plant produces Focus, the most popular Ford car in Europe, and employs about 5,000 people.
Last week, Ford was forced to close a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, due to a lack of semiconductors.
On average, a car uses between 50 and 150 chips.
The world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers decided last year to redirect their capacity from the production of chips for automakers, whose sales fell due to the pandemic, to chips for companies that produce smartphones, video game systems and other tech devices.
