Japan Quake May Cut Global Auto Output About 30%, IHS Says

Parts shortages caused by Japan’s record earthquake may reduce global automobile production by about 30 percent, research firm IHS Automotive said today.

If parts plants affected by the quake don’t return to operation within six weeks, global auto output may drop as much as 100,000 vehicles a day, said Michael Robinet, vice president of Lexington, Massachusetts-based IHS. The industry produces 280,000 to 300,000 vehicles daily, he said.