In the wake of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy on the U.S. Northeast, Automotive News reported that both car manufacturers and the National Automobile Dealers’ Association are gearing up to support relief efforts. Both Toyota and Mercedes-Benz have pledged $1 million U.S. to the American Red Cross, while Honda has said it will donate $500,000, which includes cash and also portable equipment such as generators and water pumps to assist with rebuilding efforts.
General Motors is also providing major assistance, both in the form of funds and also equipment. Detroit’s largest automaker said that it has donated 50 pickup trucks, equipped with 300 free minutes of OnStar Handsfree Calling to the American Red Cross to assist with the cleanup.
Meanwhile Toyota has said it will match employee contributions to the ARC and other non profit organizations assisting with the rebuilding process in hard hit areas. Shigeki Terashi, chief operating officer for Toyota Motor North America said that “since we have operations and many dealerships in the affected regions, we felt a special responsibility to lend a hand.”
Mercedes-Benz, which has its U.S. headquarters in Montvale, N.J. as well as a regional office and distribution centre in the Garden State, also felt the effects of the storm on a personal level. “The devastation that Hurricane Sandy left behind will be felt for a long time in the communities in which we live and work,” remarked Mercedes’ U.S. CEO Steve Cannon.
Ford Motor Company is also chipping in, pledging $50,000 in donations to the American Red Cross through its company fund and employees as part of the 2012 Red Cross Disaster Responder program, while EV startup Fisker Automotive has said it will enable utility repair crews to use its Wilmington, Delaware assembly plant as a home base of operations as they restore power and clear roads.
Besides the automakers themselves, the National Automobile Dealers’ Association, whose headquarters was also shut down during the storm, has provided $ 1 million toward a national fundraising campaign for its emergency relief fund, designed to help dealership employees get back on their feet following the disaster. The program was originally set up following Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and in the last 20 years has raised more than $7 million in support of relief efforts.
In addition, considering that Hurricane Sandy has destroyed or damaged thousands of cars, automakers, including Chrysler, Ford, GM, Nissan and Toyota are providing special financing and incentive programs, designed to help consumers obtain new vehicles. Toyota and Lexus’ financial arms also said they will provide possible relief payments to customers who have or likely will become delinquent on their vehicle loans as a result of the disaster.
