The auto industry is suffering from a serious shortage of chips, and each manufacturer is trying to cope in its own way. So while GM is shipping less fuel-efficient pickups, Tesla has been writing software to keep the production lines rolling.
As The Verge reports, Elon Musk explained during an earnings call yesterday that the shortage of chips had caused a problem, but instead of reducing production, the electric car maker instead sourced alternatives. The knock-on effect being, the firmware needed to be updated in order to support these new, alternative chips.
According to Musk, "We were able to substitute alternative chips, and then write the firmware in a matter of weeks ... It’s not just a matter of swapping out a chip; you also have to rewrite the software."
Asking your team of software engineers to support new parts as quickly as possible is certainly preferable to shipping fewer vehicles. It also establishes a process for dealing with any chip shortages that occur in the future, with Tesla more prepared to react quickly to them now. Meanwhile, companies including Ford, Jeep, and Chevy are taking millions of vehicles out of production in order to cope.
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