2026 Auto Chip Shortage Strikes Again: Memory Prices Soar, Boosting Critical Window for Domestic Substitution

In early 2026, the automotive industry plunged once again into a "chip shortage" crisis—but this time, the spotlight has shifted to memory chips. Driven by surging demand for AI computing power and accelerated vehicle intelligence, prices of automotive-grade DRAM and NAND flash memory have surged dramatically. Spot prices for some components have jumped by over 150%, with DDR5 even skyrocketing by 300%. Severe supply-demand imbalances mean the annual supply fulfillment rate could fall below 50%. Automakers like Xiaomi and NIO have openly acknowledged mounting cost pressures and have been forced to accept high prices to secure supply. This crisis is not a short-term fluctuation but stems from a structural mismatch in global semiconductor resources, poised to reshape the industry landscape over the next three to five years. In the near term, prices could rise another 50%–80%. In the medium term, high-end chips will remain heavily reliant on imports, but in the long run, the situation is expected to accelerate domestic substitution. Industry insiders forecast that by 2027, the domestic localization rate for mature-node automotive memory chips in China will exceed 30%, rising above 50% by 2030. Seizing this opportunity, China’s automotive sector is shifting from reactive responses to proactive strategic planning, accelerating the development of a self-reliant and controllable chip ecosystem.