China, which has entered the end of the epidemic, is nurturing the international market.
Editor’s note: This article comes from “ Future Car Daily ” (WeChat public account ID: auto-time), author: Zhang.
Author | Zhang Yi
Edit | Xu Yang
According to foreign media reports from Phoenix.com, Volkswagen Group has identified a set of assistance programs for the German medical system. The company will use the resources of the Chinese market to assist Germany, including purchasing medical equipment worth up to 10 million euros in China to Germany, and producing masks at its joint venture plant in China.
Volkswagen CEO Dr. Dis said on March 21 that the epidemic crisis may force Volkswagen to close factories longer than originally planned, and some factories may close for more than three weeks. In addition, Volkswagen will join a team of car companies that use 3D printers to make medical ventilators to fight the epidemic.
At the threshold of a surge in confirmed cases and insufficient reserves of epidemic prevention materials, not only Volkswagen, but also car companies and suppliers such as Tesla, GM, and Toyota have also begun preparations for the production of epidemic prevention equipment.
Tesla CEO Musk is expected to complete the distribution of about 1,200 ventilators this week. A General Motors supplier in Michigan, the United States, said recently that it will produce parts that can be used in at least 200,000 ventilators. Canadian parts supplier Magna said it is studying the possibility of producing ventilator parts.
Right now, multinational car companies, including Volkswagen, are “seeking help” in the Chinese market. Fiat Chrysler said that masks are being produced through a car factory in China starting on Monday, and it is expected to start production in the next few weeks with a monthly production capacity of one million. The masks will be donated to emergency responders and medical institutions in the United States.
During the outbreak of epidemic outbreaks, automobile companies such as SAIC-GM-Wuling, BYD, and Guangzhou Automobile Group have started to build production lines for epidemic prevention equipment such as masks and disinfectants. As of March 16, SAIC-GM-Wuling and BYD have successively announced that they will release masks to the public.
SAIC-GM-Wuling is expected to issue over 6 million masks through a nationwide free application method to alleviate the shortage of masks. BYD has signed a contract with a pharmacy to supply 15 million medical masks to six pharmacies including China Resources Vanguard, NUS Pharmacy, and Neptune Star at a low price, and stipulates that the sales price of each one must not exceed 2.5 yuan.
With the emergence of China ’s epidemic prevention and control results, self-produced masks by SAIC-GM-Wuling and other car companies may be exported to countries where they are more needed overseas to ease the tension of epidemic prevention equipment. In the middle of this month, Germany repeatedly stopped epidemic prevention equipment such as masks and surgical gloves destined for Switzerland. Italy also intercepted disinfectants sent to Switzerland for a time, and France forced companies to cancel the UKMillion mask orders.
