Wireless charging will have limited availability in the 2022 Buick Enclave due to the global semiconductor shortage, GM Authority can confirm.
This feature was originally set to come as standard equipment across the entire 2022 Buick Enclave range, but the automaker sent a memo to dealers this week indicating wireless charging will not be included on certain models due to a lack of semiconductor chips. It’s not clear which 2022 Buick Enclave models will receive the feature and which won’t, but seeing as wireless charging was set to come as standard equipment, this change will affect all trim levels. It would make sense for more expensive, upmarket trim levels to feature a wireless charging pad and for entry-level models to do away with it, but GM has not said if this will in fact be the case. GM says this change is expected to remain in effect for a portion of the 2022 Buick Enclave production run.
GM has been grappling with a shortage of semiconductor chips throughout 2021 and has been forced to pull certain content from its vehicles in order to reduce the number of chips it uses per unit. It started when it began shipping certain Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks without Active Fuel Management or Dynamic Fuel Management and continued with the deletion of HD Radio from certain trucks.
The automaker has also leased a parking lot near Michigan State University to store partially finished vehicles that are awaiting certain semiconductor chips in order to be completed. This strategy allows the company to keep its production lines up and running and quickly complete the vehicles once it receives a new shipment of chips.
In May, Global research and advisory company Gartner Inc. said the chip shortage “will severely disrupt the supply chain and will constrain the production of many electronic equipment types in 2021.” The research group also predicts the chip shortage will persist throughout 2021 and will not subside until at least the first quarter of 2022.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more General Motors production news and around-the-clock General Motors news coverage.
Comments
Well isn’t it interesting how it is mostly the US and EU brands that are affected by a shortage of chips made in Asia.
It’s not just American and European brands that are being hit hard by the shortage. Kia and Hyundai are also in the same boat and having to funnel money into other ways of acquiring chips just like every other automaker.
This isn’t a chip shortage thing. This is simply about profit and cost cutting. Ford has been hit the hardest with the chip shortage in the industry regardless they don’t sacrifice little features like wireless charging and auto start/stop (and their auto start stop is by far a lot more advanced than GMs). If you pay for something, you should get it. It’s not that simple but it’s GM’s executives.
It’s past time to stop relying on Aisa for semiconductor chips! When China overtakes Taiwan, the situation will be even worse. Then, there’s a similar problem with our medications, the majority of which come from Aisa!
can the wireless charging on the Enclave Avenir be installed later?