Range Rover 2022: Supply of large luxury SUV in Australia not affected by semi-conductor shortage

The semi-conductor shortage that is strangling vehicle supply around the world is going to get worse before it gets better, according to a new report. And that’s bad news for luxury car makers like Range Rover as high-specification models are hit more dramatically than the rest of the industry.

However, speaking to CarsGuide, a Land Rover Australia spokesperson said there is no issue with supply of its flagship Range Rover, despite the hangover of the 2020 UK pandemic shut down and the ongoing microchip shortage.

Thanks to a recent period of good supply, due to a window of regular production between the COVID-19 lockdown and the increased semi-conductor shortage, the Range Rover is currently looking good on the sales charts. 

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Land Rover had sold 145 Range Rovers through to the end of August, a 5.8 per cent increase on the same period in 2020.

A single Range Rover can require up to 300 semi-conductors, to control everything from the powertrain to the power windows. But, as indicated by a Land Rover Australia spokesperson, the flagship Range Rover will avoid the supply issues that are likely to impact its rivals.

That's because the semi-conductor shortage is about to hit hard and drag into 2022, and potentially beyond. According to industry analysts, LMC Automotive, the constraints of the microchip industry are about to hit more acutely, which is bad news for all car brands.

“As we approach the end of 2021, the impact of the semiconductor shortage on the auto industry has yet to peak, contrary to initial expectations of this happening by the end of the second quarter,” Jeff Schuster, president of LMC’s Americas operation & global vehicle forecasting, told Forbes.

“Not only has the impact intensified in the last two months, but the hope of a return to pre-pandemic conditions and a full recovery in early 2022 has all but evaporated.”

This is a major revelation for many in the industry who initially predicted that chip supply would return to normal by the middle of 2021. Now, according to the analysts at LMC, the shortage could remain until early 2023.

That’s bad news for buyers of luxury vehicles who are likely facing another 12 months of delays and restrictions on local supply. The problem is the same around the world but Australia’s remote location and relatively low volume and right-hand-drive market only exacerbate the problems car companies are facing.