Volkswagen is temporarily safe amid the Nexperia chip crisis

CEO Oliver Blume confirmed that Volkswagen has secured enough chips in the short term, in the context of China banning the export of finished products of Nexperia. Porsche lost nearly 1 billion euros in the third quarter of 2025 and is preparing to change CEOs from January 1, 2026.

Volkswagen Group is safe from the threat of a chip shortage, according to CEO Oliver Blume. He said the company has secured enough supplies in the short term, even as tensions in Europe over semiconductors flared over a ban on exports of finished products from China by Nexperia. Blume warned, however, that the global chip supply chain is showing a high degree of fragility and needs a quick political solution.

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The “simple” chip is the bottleneck

Unlike the previous semiconductor crisis, Mr. Blume emphasized that this time the problem lies mainly in simple chips—the cheap components that are found in most car electronics. The supply of these chips is tightening, which could cause widespread production disruptions, even if more advanced chips are not in short supply.

According to the head of Volkswagen, the group “has a full supply of chips for the coming period”. However, this is only a short-term solution. In the long term, he called on all parties to find a political way out to stabilize the supply chain.

Nexperia and the geopolitical knot

Tensions escalated when China banned the export of finished products from Nexperia, a chipmaker headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by China’s Wingtech. The move was seen as a response after the Dutch government stripped Nexperia of control from Wingtech, a company the US has deemed a national security risk.

The immediate consequence is that European carmakers are worried about a repeat of the chip shortage scenario. The regional auto industry is already under pressure from US tariffs and restrictions on rare earth exports from China.

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Pressure at Porsche: Big Losses and Leadership Transition

Oliver Blume, who will remain CEO of Volkswagen until 2030, will continue to lead Porsche, a sports car brand that has been hit hard by falling sales in China and high import tariffs in the US, posting an operating loss of nearly €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the third quarter of 2025 – the worst in the company’s history.

Under pressure from investors to hold the dual position, Porsche announced that Mr. Blume will step down as CEO in early 2026. From January 1, 2026, Mr. Michael Leiters – former CEO of McLaren, who held key positions at Ferrari and was in charge of the hybrid version of the Cayenne before leaving Porsche in 2013 – will take over this position. Mr. Blume considers Leiters to be a candidate on the list of successors and has the right experience in sports cars.

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Supply chain risks: a warning for Europe

Observers say the current crisis has exposed the vulnerability of the global semiconductor supply chain to geopolitical conflicts. Without a stable solution, Europe could face further disruptions – this time not of advanced chips but of the “cheap but essential” components that go into every car.

For Volkswagen, the “short-term safety” status does not eliminate the need to diversify supply sources, increase spare parts reserves and coordinate closely with regulators to minimize risks.

Notable milestones and facts

Event	Time	Note
Volkswagen ensures enough chips in the short term	Sharing by CEO Oliver Blume	The problem is simple chip concentration
China bans export of finished Nexperia products	Current	Nexperia is located in the Netherlands, part of Wingtech (China)
Netherlands takes control of Nexperia away from Wingtech	Before the ban	The US considers Wingtech a national security risk.
Porsche operating loss of nearly 1 billion euros	Quarter III/2025	Impact from Chinese market and US tax
Michael Leiters takes over as CEO of Porsche	January 1, 2026	Mr. Blume focuses on the role of Volkswagen CEO until 2030

Conclude

Volkswagen has a chip supply cushion for the time being, but geopolitical factors surrounding Nexperia suggest systemic risks remain. The pressure on Porsche and the changes in senior management reflect the broader industry’s difficult situation. A timely political solution, coupled with a flexible supply chain strategy, will determine how resilient European automakers will be in the coming period.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/volkswagen-tam-an-toan-giua-khung-hoang-chip-experia-10309416.html