In another sign the world’s shortage of chips still hasn’t abated, Toyota will temporarily give new car buyers just one smart key instead of two as it seeks to ration semiconductors.
The measure will apply to 14 models for sale in Japan, including Crown sedans, Prius hybrids and the battery-electric bZ4X, for production in November, the automaker said in a notice to customers Thursday.
One of the usual two smart keys will be replaced with a regular old fashioned one. Semiconductors are used in electronic keys to lock and unlock cars remotely. Toyota’s luxury car brand Lexus will take similar measures.
The move is further evidence the auto industry is still struggling with a persistent shortage of semiconductors. Toyota, the world’s biggest carmaker, warned last week it expects to miss its fiscal-year target of assembling 9.7 million vehicles, due in part to the dearth of various auto parts and persistent supply chain issues.
Toyota apologized to customers for the inconvenience, saying it will "make efforts to deliver the second smart key as early as we can.”