RAM shortage drives car price hikes

A global shortage of RAM memory, ongoing for months, is now affecting the automotive sector. Vehicle manufacturers say higher RAM costs will be passed on to buyers, with General Motors projecting a 0.5 % price increase for its U.S. models and Chinese EV maker BYD already raising its autonomous‑driving assistance option by 20 %.

Micron estimates that a typical car contains about 16 GB of RAM, a figure that can exceed 300 GB in level‑4 autonomous vehicles and may reach up to 2 TB in future high‑end models. The same shortage has been disrupting smartphones, computers, and video‑game hardware, highlighting the broad reliance on RAM across consumer electronics.

Industry analysts warn that continued scarcity could further lift vehicle prices worldwide as manufacturers absorb higher component costs.