Report: Kia plant to cancel 2 days of production this week

Kia Motors announced it will stop production at its assembly facility in West Point for a couple of days this week because of supply-chain issues.

The company, according to a report in Reuters, said the pause will “allow time for the supply chain to stabilize for continuous operation throughout the remainder of the month.”

The culprit in the shutdown apparently is a worldwide shortage in semiconductor chips, which has caused automakers to lean back on production. Semiconductors are used in numerous car functions, everything from monitoring engine performance to the entertainment systems.

Car manufacturers cut back on production last year as COVID hit, while consumers bought smartphones, laptops and other electronic products during the pandemic, leading to a shortage in chips.

Kia briefly shut down its plant in March 2020 for “cleaning and sanitizing processes to workstations throughout the facility as part of its prevent measures related to COVID-19 risks.”

Kia, the only automobile company with a manufacturing facility in Georgia, makes Sorrento SUVs, Telluride CUVs and Optima sedans in West Point.

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