You wouldn’t expect your macaroni to be cut, but Volkswagen has made the announcement that shocks the industry today

Volkswagen will stop receiving orders for many plug-in hybrid models due to a lack of microchips and supply chain problems related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Orders for plug-in hybrid versions of the VW Golf, Tiguan, Passat, Arteon and Touareg models will be suspended until further notice, and delivery of pre-placed orders may not take place this year, VW said.

“The move is intended to prevent further delays in delivery time,” a VW spokesman said.

Delivery times for some models are already eight to ten months.

Volkswagen joins Audi in imposing a freeze on plug-in controls due to production disruptions.

Volkswagen must make these decisions

The news comes after VW decided to stop production in Russia and temporarily suspend production at several factories in Germany in the last two weeks.

The Wolfsburg carmaker’s main plant will be inactive from March 14 to 18, Volkswagen said. Its Zwickau plant, which produces electric vehicles, will cease production until March 18.

Its plants in Hanover and Dresden, as well as two factories in Poland, are also affected, the company said.

Ukraine and Russia are minor markets for sales, but component blockages, such as wire harnesses produced in Ukraine, as well as rising commodity prices, are hampering production for carmakers across the continent.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raises the price of used metals, from aluminum in the body to palladium in catalytic converters and high-quality nickel in batteries for electric vehicles.

Automotive technology provider Aptiv has moved production of high-volume vehicle parts from Ukraine in the past two months ahead of possible hostilities, said CEO Kevin Clark.