Affected by the current situation, the supply chain problems caused by the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine have affected the huge automobile industry, and many automakers around the world have announced temporary suspensions.
Japanese auto brand Toyota announced today that Russia's attack on Ukraine affects parts purchases, and its only plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, will stop production tomorrow and will no longer export cars to Russia. Toyota issued a statement saying that "due to supply chain disruptions, Toyota Motor Russia will stop production at its St. Petersburg plant from March 4 and has stopped importing cars until further notice."
In addition to the closure of Toyota's St. Petersburg plant, major car companies have also successively adjusted production and sales arrangements, including Porsche, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, GM, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover most of the European brands have announced the suspension of exports and sales to Russia.
A spokesman for the German Volkswagen Group said that the Porsche plant of Volkswagen Group in Leipzig, Germany, began to shut down on the afternoon of the 2nd and is expected to last at least until the end of next week, when about 2,500 employees are on standby. A day earlier, the Volkswagen Group announced that one of Volkswagen's main production sites in Wolfsburg, Germany, would have to shut down due to supply chain disruptions. In addition, Volkswagen's plant in Saxony, Germany, is already experiencing cable shortages.
Renault has been deeply involved in the Russian market for many years, and in the early years participated in the restructuring of the Russian eldest son Volga AvtoVAZ, which gave it the top spot in the Russian automotive market, with a market share of 38%. Renault currently has three vehicle equipment plants in Russia, and Renault Russia issued a statement that it will stop production between February 28 and March 5 due to border control and logistics.
Germany's Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW announced this week that they would stop exporting cars to Russia, some of Volkswagen's auto parts and cables came from Ukraine, and supply chain problems caused its two factories in Germany to stop production. Volkswagen is also the second-highest brand in the Russian market, with Volkswagen's plant in Russia producing 118,000 units in 2021 and is still in normal production.
BMW sold the russian luxury brand in 2021, selling a total of 46,800 cars. BMW has been working with local Companies in Russia for more than 20 years, has just completed a new round of contract renewals until 2028 and is investing 350 million euros in plant expansion. At present, BMW's Russian plant is in normal condition, but a BMW spokesperson confirmed today that the Munich plant and the German Dingefen plant confirmed that production will start next week.
GM and Ford had already closed their plants in Ukraine two years earlier, but Ford Motor Russia, through the joint venture Ford-Solles, has three plants in the region that are currently in normal operation.
Great Wall Motors also has a plant in Russia to produce Haval F7, F7x and Haval H9 models, and will sell 39,000 units in 2021. The other two Chinese brands, Geely and Chery, also have sales figures close to Great Wall Motors, and there are no special arrangements for the situation in Russia and Ukraine.
In addition, Russia and Ukraine together account for 70% of the world's neon gas production. Neon gas is an important raw material for chip manufacturing, the global semiconductor industry, especially the automobile manufacturing industry has been worried about the "chip shortage" that lasts for a period of time, and now the situation in Russia and Ukraine is likely to lead to the shortage of neon supply, which will deeply affect the automotive industry.
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