I don't really believe that such thing as a shortage exists in a free-market economy. Executives who complain of shortages are just way too rigid with their planning and are not willing to pay the increased price. Exactly this goes for VW.
Also, these execs are not dumb, if they could just 'adjust their price and sell 100K more cars' ... well, they've thought of that.
Probably what needs to happen is Merkel, Bojo, EU leadership (and same in other countries) might need to pipe in with something to facilitate the economy, but that's also fraught with risks, it's not like Norway Statoil whereby they just have to 'get the Oil from under the sea and it's bank'.
Manufacturing is a core competency of any car maker (second to supply chain). I wouldn't be surprised to see a fab partner ship between automakers in the future just to ensure they can get the chips they need. This will be at least as much about ensuring old chips don't go obsolete as about supply.
>Mr Duesmann described the problems as “a crisis upon a crisis”. Demand for cars slumped for much of last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting auto suppliers to cut their orders for the computer chips that manage everything from a car’s brakes and steering to its electric windows and distance sensors.
>But demand for cars jumped unexpectedly in the final three months of 2020, as buyers became more optimistic. Audi had its best quarter ever, largely because of a rebound in China.
[0] https://on.ft.com/39V7w9h (paywalled after 3 free accesses)