The global semiconductor shortage will lead to 7.7 million fewer vehicles produced in 2021, costing automakers billions in lost sales, according to consulting firm AlixPartners. The forecast, released Sept. 23, estimates that the shortage will cost the auto industry globally $210 billion in lost revenues in 2021, up sharply from the May projections of $110 billion in foregone sales and 3.9 million fewer vehicles built. “Everyone had hoped that the chip crisis would have abated more by now, but unfortunate events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia and continued problems elsewhere have exacerbated things,” Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners, said in a statement. Wakefield added that the semiconductor crunch is just one of the supply-side dislocations impacting automakers, with shortages extending to materials like resin, steel, and labor. “There really are no ‘shock absorbers’ left in the industry right now when it …