The Auto Industry Now... Making Masks Instead of Cars

Medical Supplies Produced at Global Auto Plants Including Lamborghini, GM, and FCA

(Photo by Lamborghini)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Global automakers are contributing to the fight against COVID-19 by producing masks instead of cars. As governments around the world facing shortages of medical supplies encourage the use of factories halted by COVID-19 to produce medical goods, this trend is expected to continue for the time being.

According to industry sources on the 5th, the supercar brand Lamborghini has decided to produce medical supplies at its Santa Agata Bolognese factory in Italy and donate them to the nearby Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital. They plan to produce 1,000 masks and 200 plexiglass protective shields per day. After efficacy verification by the University of Bologna's surgical department and approval from the Emilia-Romagna region, the supplies will be delivered to the hospital.

Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, said, "Everyone, including medical staff and volunteers working on the front lines, is going through a difficult time. I believe that by joining forces to support them, we can overcome this."

American automaker General Motors (GM) has also decided to produce medical supplies to respond to COVID-19. Utilizing its Michigan plant, GM plans to produce 50,000 to 100,000 masks daily, and its parts factories will begin producing ventilators. In cooperation with medical device manufacturers, they will equip facilities to produce 10,000 ventilators per month starting in April.

Notably, in the United States, following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s announcement on March 22 to ease regulations on ventilator manufacturing, companies including Ford and Toyota's U.S. branches have announced plans to cooperate in expanding ventilator production alongside GM.

In China, the number of automaker factories producing masks is also increasing. Kia Motors will start mask production next week at its Yancheng plant in Jiangsu Province, China. This measure follows the Chinese government's recommendation to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the masks will not be sold but distributed to local employees and others.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), an Italian-American joint automaker, announced on the 23rd of last month that it would convert one of its Chinese production plants into a mask manufacturing facility. The monthly mask production capacity is about 1 million units. FCA plans to supply these masks to the United States, Canada, and other regions.