Whether it is donating supplies, funding relief efforts, or helping displaced employees, auto manufacturers are stepping up to help communities get through the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, United Car Care reveals how auto manufacturers and suppliers are supporting coronavirus relief efforts.
The coronavirus pandemic isn’t the first time the U.S. auto industry has stepped up to the plate to help assist the country in times of hardship. Many auto manufacturers and suppliers were also vital aids during World War II when factories began manufacturing tanks and other necessary equipment to assist during that time. Many manufacturers have transitioned manufacturing from auto parts and vehicles to the production of medical-grade face masks, ventilators, CPAP machines, gowns, and other necessary tools to combat the virus in a global shortage.
Production of Medical Supplies
General Motors announced in April that they would be stepping up to help produce 10,000 ventilators a month and up to 50,000 masks per day for as long as needed. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is manufacturing and donating over a million face masks a month. The company is placing emphasis on donating the masks produced to police, EMTs, firefighters, and healthcare workers to focus on individuals working on the front lines.
Ford partnered with GE Healthcare to tackle manufacturing 30,000 ventilators per month with union members who volunteered for the project. Additionally, Ford is also making hospital gowns from unused airbag materials. Toyota is focusing on the production of filters for face masks along with 3D printed face shields. Tesla is also offering its plants to produce ventilators while donating ventilators to healthcare workers the company had purchased from overseas companies.
Donations
Hyundai helped raise $4 million in grants and donations to help fund drive-up testing facilities across the country. They also donated 65,000 coronavirus testing kits to those facilities.
Toyota and its subsidiaries donated a total of $500,000 to the United Way. The funds raised will go towards assisting those in need of food, water, and emergency relief.
Other Ways of Support
Volkswagen has stepped up to provide free vehicles for assistance in the transportation of essential supplies across the country. The company has offered up over 7000 vehicles from its service loaner fleet and is paying its dealership employees to help deliver needed supplies.
Hyundai announced its Hyundai Assurance Job Loss Protection Program, which allows new car owners to defer payments up to 90 days and will provide up to six months of payment relief if a customer suffers job loss due to coronavirus impacts. Hyundai’s luxury motor division, Genesis, is offering the program to all owners of Genesis vehicles. Other manufacturers offering 0% financing or support in the deferral of payments include Ford, Volkswagen, Jaguar-Land Rover, Nissan, Infiniti, Kia, Honda, Toyota, and Lexus.
GM activated their service OnStar for all car owners, even if they were not currently enrolled in the service to enable emergency service. The free service is enabled to allow for owners to receive free routing information to hospitals in emergencies and also stay up to date on information from the CDC.
Many manufacturers such as BMW, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota have been working on plans for their employees that include a combination of furlough weeks, working with unemployment agencies, and ensuring employees still receive healthcare benefits regardless of employment status.
About United Car Care
United Car Care vehicle service contracts offer reliable protection at an affordable cost, which is exactly what consumers want when looking for mechanical protection for their vehicles. Their product is backed by an A-rated insurer, thus providing their contract holders with the utmost security. United Car Care has had over a million satisfied customers as well as man long-time relationships with their dealers and agents. These relationships are a true testimonial to United Car Care’s core values: quality, dependability, and customer service.