Chip shortage results in major changes to BMW touchscreens

As the global chip shortage continues to impact the automotive industry across the world – car makers are now making drastic changes in order to cope

Reports have revealed that car maker BMW is dropping touchscreens from many of its cars due to the continued chip shortage.

Over the past two years, auto manufacturers have had to pause production or cut vehicle features in order to manage the burden of the chip shortage.

BMW confirmed to Autoblog that it’s temporarily removing touchscreen functions from several models.

For now, BMW 3 Series, X5, X6, X7 and Z4 models will ship without touchscreen controls. BMW 4 Series Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe (but not the i4 EV) will also lose touchscreen features for the time being.

Owners of the “touch-less” models will need to use the centre console’s iDrive controller to navigate the infotainment system. If you receive a model without touch control when it should have had it, you’ll receive a $500 credit due to “Deletion of Touchscreen.”

It’s unclear how long these BMW models will be impacted by the chip shortage or if other cars will be added to the no-touchscreen list in the future.