Before the full impact of the novel coronavirus reached Canada, vehicle manufacturers around the world were feeling the ripple effects of the pandemic from China.
With production suspended at various facilities, Canadian auto dealer reached out to General Motors in March to learn more about the automaker’s plans. GM replied in April and said it is addressing the global back order of critical care ventilators to support patients fighting COVID-19, and the short supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to protect frontline healthcare workers.
Ventec and GM delivered the first ventilators mid-April and said it would step up its manufacturing capacity of more than 10,000 critical care ventilators per month. The OEM also said it is converting its Warren, Michigan facility to produce millions of surgical masks for front-line health workers.
In Canada, the automaker is collecting and donating critical personal protective equipment from its various partners to help the Public Health Agency of Canada manage the needs of Canadian healthcare workers.
The supplies are being collected from the company’s Woodstock and Oshawa parts locations. The items include: Medical grade N95 face masks, safety glasses, sanitized goggles, isolation gowns and coveralls, hand sanitizers, and latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves.
And just as GM is producing surgical masks at its Michigan plant, the OEM announced on April 24 that it is preparing parts of its Oshawa, Ont., plant to produce face masks with the goal of manufacturing around one million masks per month. This initiative will function with an estimate of 50 employees, supporting two shifts of production, but has not yet begun due to additional work with governments and union partners.
On the dealer front, GM said they are helping customers with transportation to grocery stores and to access health care.
“In accordance with provincial guidelines, the service bays at GM dealerships continue to operate as they provide supplies, and services necessary to keep people safe and help keep vehicles on our roads including ambulances and police vehicles,” said GM. “In addition, our dealers are shifting their efforts to online sales and remote delivery to ensure everyone’s safety.”
GM Canada also announced additional support for its customers for financing needs and in the form of connected services. For example, the automaker has enabled OnStar Crisis Assist for owners of its connected vehicles, for a limited time, and is offering complimentary 3GB/3 months (whichever comes first) of in-vehicle data.
“And, starting April 1, we announced enhanced vehicle purchase incentives to support those who need a new car, truck, or SUV, by offering 0 per cent financing on some of our most popular 2020 vehicles, with no payments for 90 days — or waive the first month’s lease payment entirely,” said GM.
This is just one of many examples of how OEMs and its dealer network are doing their part to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. 
