Aluminum Shortage Impacts Detroit Automakers

The fire at an aluminum smelter in New York last September began to cause shutdowns at Ford and Stellantis plants in the Detroit area, according to reports in the US press.

In the case of the blue oval brand, the disruption in the supply chain impacted the Dearborn Truck Assembly plant, which produces the best-selling light vehicle in the United States, the F-150 pickup truck, whose volume has been cut in half.

Analysts at Evercore ISI estimate that the impact on Ford's fourth-quarter results will be $1 billion, according to a report by Reuters.

The incident halted aluminum production at a Novelis plant in Oswego, NY, which supplies about 36% of the material used by the U.S. automotive industry.

Estimates from the Wall Street Journal indicate that this Atlanta-based company supplies nearly half of the aluminum required by automakers in the neighboring country, and its customers also include General Motors, Rivian, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Stellantis.

So far, only the latter has confirmed, apart from Ford, that its operations have been interrupted as a result of the fire, specifically at the Warren Truck Assembly plant, where it produces the expensive Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.

That facility, also located in Michigan, will remain shut down for three weeks this month, which will affect the launch of the 2026 Grand Wagoneer model, which debuts with the REEV (range-extended electric vehicle) hybrid powertrain, until now only available in Ram 1500 pickups.

The powertrain uses a 3.6-liter V6 engine that powers a 130-kilowatt generator, which in turn powers a battery system and two electric motors that deliver 647 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, with an estimated range of over 500 miles (804.6 kilometers) per tank of gas.