Carmakers in China sideswiped by strict Covid-19 controls, with production curtailed at several plants
- Voyah says 14 service centres in 16 cities including Zhengzhou and Shijiangzhuang have been forced to suspend operations
- Covid-19 control measures are straining supply chains and production for several carmakers in China
China’s carmaking sector has taken another beating from the country’s pandemic curbs, with companies based in Wuhan and Chengdu forced to halt part of production or sales due to lockdowns there.
Honda Motor, Volkswagen and Dongfeng Motor’s electric vehicle (EV) brand Voyah have been affected to varying degrees by a broken logistics network and strained supply chains, and there are no clear time frames for resuming operations, according to statements by the companies and media reports.
Voyah said in a statement that 14 service centres in 16 cities including Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan province and Shijiangzhuang, capital of northern Hebei province, have been forced to suspend operations since Sunday due to stringent pandemic curbs.
“We are unable to offer repair and maintenance services for now,” it said. “Delivery of new cars will also be delayed because of virus controls and logistics issues. We deeply apologise for the inconvenience brought to customers.”
The company’s headquarters in Wuhan, and the plants in Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang have been hit by outbreaks of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, with the national health commission reporting record single-day infections of 38,421 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Honda suspended its operations at a plant in Wuhan because a standstill order was issued for the area, according to a Bloomberg report, which cited the company’s spokesperson.