Carmakers get inventive as global chip crisis bites

FILE PHOTO: Thousands of Ford F-150s without chips are stored at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, U.S., September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Jeff Dean/File Photo

MUNICH (Reuters) - Whether buying computer chips directly from manufacturers, reconfiguring cars, or producing them with parts missing, automakers are having to get creative to cope with the global shortage of semiconductors.

The shortage, due to supply problems and a surge in demand for consumer electricals during the pandemic, has hit the auto industry hard, with millions of vehicles worldwide not being produced because important parts are missing.