The semiconductor crisis is easing slightly, but wiring harness shortages are accelerating the demise of traditional automobiles!

Unlike chips and motors, wiring harnesses are low-tech, low-margin components made from wires, plastics, and rubber, requiring extensive low-cost manual labor. Yet, they serve as critical connectors in automotive electrical systems, linking various electronic circuits within vehicles.

Different car models employ distinct wiring harness designs, with each variant being virtually unique, making rapid production transfer challenging. Ukraine, a major hub for wiring harness manufacturing, supplies harnesses for hundreds of thousands of new vehicles annually.

Its supply constraints have led some industry insiders to believe that it may accelerate the decline of internal combustion engine vehicles.

Traditional automotive wiring harnesses are labor-intensive products, whereas those for electric vehicles are relatively lighter and can be manufactured by machines, thereby freeing them from reliance on manual labor.

Sam Fiorani, head of the automotive industry analysis firm AutoForecast Solutions, said, "This is just another reason for the industry to accelerate its transition to electric vehicles."

Currently, gasoline-powered cars still dominate global new vehicle sales, but according to JATO Dynamics, electric vehicle sales doubled last year, though their share remains below 6%.