GM and Ford in White House talks to make ventilators for pandemic patients
General Motors and Ford are in talks with the White House about using vacant car factories to manufacture breathing equipment to help the US tackle the growing number of coronavirus cases, the companies said on Wednesday. The discussions, which echo talks in Britain between the government and carmakers about ventilator production, show the lengths governments are going to in order to secure or manufacture sufficient devices to treat the most seriously ill, as the number of cases continues to balloon worldwide. Some carmakers have questioned whether their plants would be suitable to produce such equipment, given the requirements of medical precision, as well as the need to obtain certification to produce such instruments.
Ford said it stood ready “to help the administration in any way we can . . . We have had preliminary talks with the US government and are looking into the feasibility”. The move comes hours after GM and Ford, along with Fiat Chrysler, announced an unprecedented shutdown of all North American facilities in an effort to contain the spread of the disease.
“[GM chief executive] Mary Barra was in contact with the administration today to provide an update on the decision to suspend production,” said a GM spokesman. “She also indicated GM is working to help find solutions for the nation during this difficult time and has offered to help, and we are already studying how we can potentially support production of medical equipment like ventilators.”
Ms Barra’s statement follows comments by Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, that he had spoken to the heads of two of the big three US carmakers, and they were willing to offer their plants for production of breathing apparatus.
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