Europe’s car plants including BMW and Volkswagen are halted by lack of low-cost Ukrainian components

Ukraine boasts nearly 40 plants producing car components and accounts for a fifth of Europe’s produce of wire harnesses. The war has disrupted their production as well as transportation abroad. Unlike other components that may be simply made elsewhere, harnesses are bespoke. “You can not begin assembling even an incomplete automotive without wire harnesses,” stated Alexandre Marian, a managing director at consultancy AlixPartners. Thus, European carmakers race to relocate or duplicate the bespoke tools wanted to make harnesses.

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