BMW suspends production in key factories as Ukraine crisis hits parts supplies

German luxury carmaker BMW has been forced to halt production in several of its key manufacturing facilities in Europe over next week as it is unable to get some urgently needed parts from suppliers in Ukraine, following the nation's invasion by Russia.

BMW's German plants in Munich and Dingolfing, its MINI factory in Oxford, England as well as its engine facility in Steyr, Austria will all be idled, a company spokesperson told a local newspaper, CarScoops reported. Production shifts at the carmaker's other factories in Leipzig and Regensburg are also facing adjustments.

While all these facilities are located far away from the area currently under attack by Russia, the car company relies on component firms in western Ukraine for a supply of wiring harnesses. "The conflict in Ukraine is having a far-reaching impact on production in the supplier industry there. The resulting production stoppages will lead to successive production adjustments and interruptions at several BMW plants," the spokesman said.

BMW isn't the only German carmaker forced to halt factory production in its homeland because of the Ukraine crisis. Volkswagen too has halted production its its Zwickau plant for this week while its factory in Dresden will be shut from Wednesday to Friday as well. The crisis has also impacted the delivery of certain electric vehicles from Audi, Cupra, and VW underpinned by the MEB platform.

Volkswagen has temporarily halted supply of its cars to dealers in Russia. "Deliveries are to resume as soon as the effects of the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States have been clarified," a company spokesperson said in a press statement. Russian car buyers will also soon feel the effect of the conflict in the wake of decisions by these automakers.