A new kind of chip shortage is taking shape, and this time the driver is artificial intelligence. DRAM \u2014 the memory behind infotainment screens, driver-assistance systems and over-the-air updates in modern vehicles \u2014 is being absorbed by AI data centers at a staggering pace. Industry estimates suggest data centers will consume roughly 70 percent of the world\u2019s memory chips produced in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The handful of companies that dominate DRAM manufacturing have shifted output toward high-bandwidth memory for AI, where margins run well above automotive. Rather than halting production outright, the squeeze shows up as tighter allocation, longer lead times and rising prices. S&P Global Mobility projects new-contract DRAM prices could climb 70 to 100 percent in 2026, with premium, tech-heavy vehicles feeling it first. Most analysts expect the squeeze to persist into 2027 and possibly beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For independent dealers, the link runs through the new-vehicle pipeline. When factory output tightens and sticker prices climb, buyers tend to look harder at used inventory \u2014 a pattern the industry watched unfold during the pandemic-era chip crunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How automakers absorb these costs, and whether they eventually ripple into used values, is worth watching as the year plays out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new kind of chip shortage is taking shape, and this time the driver is artificial intelligence. DRAM…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_grid":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3,38,4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7379","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-industry","8":"category-parts","9":"category-technology","10":"cs-entry","11":"cs-video-wrap"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7379"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7381,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7379\/revisions\/7381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}