The consultancy, AlixPartners, said that the global deficit in semiconductor chips will cause carmakers to lose revenue of $ 110 billion this year, up from a previous estimate of 61 billion, as it expects the crisis to affect 3.9 million production. Car.

The company said on Friday that the chip crisis underscores the need for automakers to be "proactive" at present, and to create "resilience in supply chains" over a longer term to avoid disruptions in the future.

In the past, automakers would enter into direct supply agreements with producers of specific raw materials, including precious metals such as palladium and platinum that are used in exhaust filtration systems.

The adoption of a more direct approach to obtaining supplies of precious metals began after the supply and price disruptions in that market.

Mark Wakefield, co-chair of the global automotive division at Alex Partners, said carmakers are now looking to have direct relationships with semiconductor makers.

"These things appeared suddenly," he added.

In the past, Wakefield said, the automakers were reluctant to make long-term commitments to purchase semiconductors or other raw materials and to assume the financial obligations associated with such agreements.

At the moment, he emphasized, the real risk was related to production loss due to the semiconductor deficit.

On the other hand, Ford Motor said, on Thursday, that it is redesigning auto parts to use more easily obtained chips, against the backdrop of a global deficit in semiconductors.

Huge investment

Meanwhile, a global shortage of semiconductors has prompted Samsung to massively invest in chip technology, which is essential to making everyday consumer products, and in artificial intelligence.

The South Korean electronics giant said it plans to invest 171 trillion won ($ 151 billion) by 2030 "to accelerate research into advanced semiconductor operating technology and establish a new production facility."

This comes on the heels of the company allocating 133 trillion won in April 2019 to making the chips.

Samsung said, in a statement, that it wants to be a global leader in the manufacture of logic chips used in artificial intelligence, 5G and autonomous driving technology.

She added that it has worked with semiconductor design companies, parts producers, equipment suppliers and research institutions over the past two years to achieve this goal.