GM Delivers Ventilators
The first VOCSN V+Pro critical care ventilators produced by General Motors and Ventec Life Systems in Kokomo, Indiana are being delivered by UPS to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields in Olympia Fields, Illinois and Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago at the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The milestone shipments are putting important tools in the hands of frontline medical professionals treating patients seriously ill with COVID-19.
Franciscan Health Olympia Fields received their shipment early Friday morning and Weiss Memorial will receive theirs Friday afternoon. A third shipment from GM-Kokomo will be delivered by UPS to FEMA at the Gary/Chicago International Airport on Saturday for distribution to other locations where the need is greatest.
The deliveries are the culmination of a partnership between GM and Ventec Life Systems that began with a phone call exactly one month ago. Since then, the combined teams have sourced thousands of parts, transformed GM’s advanced electronics facility in Kokomo for medical device production, contracted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide 30,000 ventilators by the end of August and launched mass production. More than 1,000 men and women from the Kokomo community will be building ventilators.
Volvo Gets Back to Work
Volvo Cars is restarting production at its Torslanda plant in Sweden on Monday (20 April), following a short period of downtime related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The company, which has taken the decision to reopen following a dialogue with relevant labour unions, will also welcome back office workers to its Swedish offices on Monday. Both the plant and offices have been prepared in recent weeks to be as safe as possible for people to return in a way that safeguards their health.
A constant, close dialogue with all partners and suppliers aims to secure continued production amid ongoing yet reducing disruptions in the supply chain. Production volumes in Torslanda will be adjusted to meet demand in the market as well as existing order books.
“We have a responsibility towards our employees and our suppliers to restart operations now that the situation allows it,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive. “The best thing we can do to help society is to find ways to restart the company in a safe way, thereby safeguarding people’s health and their jobs.”
Before the return of staff on Monday, all facilities have been cleaned extensively, while sanitation and cleaning routines have been intensified and voluntary temperature and pulse oximeter* checks will be offered at main entrances.
In recent weeks, company officials have reviewed every single working station in the Torslanda plant from a health and safety perspective, and where social distancing is not possible, other protective measures have been put in place.
In Swedish office buildings the layout in all meeting rooms, office spaces and restaurants has been adjusted where necessary to allow for social distancing, for example by ensuring that desks are placed appropriately and limiting the number of people allowed in meeting rooms and restaurants.
As for the other sites in Volvo Cars’ global manufacturing network, the Ghent, Belgium plant will also reopen on Monday 20 April, but at reduced production output. The company currently plans to reopen its South Carolina plant in the United States on Monday 11 May.
The engine plant in Skövde, Sweden and the body component manufacturing site in Olofström, Sweden will continue to plan their production on a weekly basis and adapt according to needs in the other plants.
Office workers in other markets will continue to follow local guidelines, but Volvo Cars health and safety officials hope that learnings from the Swedish facilities can be implemented elsewhere as well.
Volvo Cars will continue to make use of the support package introduced by the Swedish government earlier this year, which means a continued reduction of working time for most employees. The welcome support by the government allows Volvo Cars to protect its fundamentally healthy business until markets stabilise.
Zero Contact Repairs & Service from Goodyear
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure fleets can continue to access the tires and services they need to stay on the road, Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Centers (CTSC) and Raben Tire locations across the U.S. are offering “zero contact” service to limit close personal contact among associates and customers.
The “zero contact” service includes enhanced preventative measures, including a contact-free key exchange, protective gloves and handwashing procedures, cleaning for all contact points on the vehicle and payment by phone.
VW Announces Community Payment Assistance
Volkswagen of America and Volkswagen Credit (VCI) announced an expansion of the Community-Driven Promise including new payment assistance for eligible customers who lose their job due to economic reasons.
For qualified customers who purchase a new vehicle and lose their jobs due to economic reasons, VCI will waive up to six months of payments, up to $750 per month, providing some financial relief in these uncertain times.
“This global pandemic and the economic uncertainty that came with it has many of us facing difficult choices and we don’t want purchasing a new vehicle to be one of them,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “We want our customers to know that if the unexpected happens, we’re here to help.”
This job loss payment assistance applies to customers who purchase a new vehicle and finance the purchase through Volkswagen Credit, and is not currently available in New York. To be eligible, customers must be receiving unemployment benefits, and the unemployment must occur for economic reasons after the first 90-days of ownership. Customers must also have been employed on a full-time basis at least 12 consecutive weeks prior to the unemployment. The benefit expires 12 months from date of purchase. Other conditions and limitations apply. For more details about the job loss payment assistance component of the Community-Driven Promise, visit VW.com/the-community-driven-promise/.
Also as part of the Community-Driven Promise announced April 3, Volkswagen is giving highly qualified new buyers the option of delaying their first payment for up to 180 days and is offering zero-percent APR financing for up to 72 months for most new vehicles. The program is set to run through April 30.
Volkswagen is also making it easier to purchase a Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with zero percent APR financing for 60 months for highly qualified customers through VCI. This offer ends June 30, 2020.
Volkswagen recently launched an ad campaign in English and in Spanish to raise awareness of the payment-relief offers.
Subaru Feeding America
Subaru of America, Inc., along with support from its two regional independent distributors, Subaru of New England and Subaru Distributors Corp., today announced its continued commitment to supporting people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by helping to provide 50 million meals* to Feeding America®. The donation will help the Feeding America network respond to increased need in their communities and will help provide 50 million meals nationwide to people most impacted by the pandemic. As the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization and a nationwide network of 200-member food banks, the automaker’s contribution will help ensure families and individuals across the country are fed and cared for during these uncertain times.
The 50 million meals that Subaru helps secure will enable food banks to secure the resources they need to serve the most vulnerable members of their communities.
Nissan Still Down in US Making Face Shields in Japan
Nissan will begin making protective face shields for health care workers in Japan who are on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19.
The current plan calls for making 2,500 shields a month. Production will start this month at the Nissan Technical Center, the Nissan Research Center, and the company’s Yokohama Plant.
In addition, in response to a request from the Japanese government, Nissan is studying ways to support companies that manufacture ventilators and artificial heart-lung machines. Nissan plans to help these producers by proposing improvements to manufacturing procedures, providing working space or manpower to help companies step up production, and supplying parts that are in shortage.
Nissan has already started similar initiatives in other regions. In the U.S., the company is making protective face shields for health care workers in Michigan, Mississippi and Tennessee.
In the U.K., a team of volunteers from the Nissan Sunderland Plant have been supporting the delivery of protective face shields. More than 77,000 shields will leave the plant by the end of this week, and from next week, up to 100,000 shields will be distributed weekly. Nissan provided additional funds for an injection molding tool that greatly increases the number of shields produced.
In Spain, Nissan is beginning production of medical respirators in collaboration with Hospital de Sant Pau, the engineering company QEV Technologies an
Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nissan is further extending production downtime at all of its U.S. manufacturing facilities until mid-May. Some business-essential work that must be done on site will continue with enhanced safety measures. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make adjustments as needed.
As part of the One World: Together At Home globally televised and digital special to support frontline health care workers and the World Health Organization, FCA will premiere two all-new television commercials for the Dodge and Jeep® brands. The 30-second videos, “Strength” for Dodge and “Seven Continents” for Jeep, will air during the two-hour TV special as part of the globally televised and streamed event in support of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The historic broadcast will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel of Jimmy Kimmel Live and Stephen Colbert of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
FleetCompete with OnStar
Fleet Complete®, the fastest-growing global provider of connected vehicle solutions, today announced its fleet assistance program with free service until July 31, 2020, for those with OnStar-enabled GM vehicles (most Model Year 2015 or newer vehicles, equipped with compatible OnStar hardware). The new program is launched in an effort to help fleet-owning businesses in North America gain safety and operational efficiency.
Workhorse Group Granted Loan
Workhorse Group, an American technology company focused on providing sustainable and cost-effective electric vehicles to the last mile delivery sector, recently entered into a Paycheck Protection Program Term Note (“PNC Note”) with PNC Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) of the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”).
Under the terms of PNC Note, Workhorse received total proceeds of $1,411,000. In accordance with the requirements of the CARES Act, the Company will use proceeds primarily for payroll costs. During the first six months of the PNC Note, neither principal nor interest shall be due and payable during this deferral period and a large portion of the loan could be forgiven should the Company meet certain qualifications under the program.
“More generally, over the past year-plus period, we’ve seen a growing interest in our ground-based delivery vehicles with their integrated Horsefly drone capabilities as America and the global economy has become increasingly reliant on online ordering and at-home delivery. The various industry shutdowns over the past few weeks have made this demand greater and the need more immediate. We are committed to supporting our customers and partners as they perform these vital delivery and support services during this period,” said Workhorse CFO Steve Schrader.
Ferrari Makes Valves and Fittings for Masks
Ferrari has started to produce respirator valves and fittings for protective masks at its Maranello plant as one of its initiatives in support of health workers treating coronavirus patients.
The department where car prototypes are usually built is producing these thermoplastic components using additive manufacturing technology.
Some valves have been developed by Mares, a diving equipment manufacturer, tailor-made to fit their masks so as to create emergency masks to assist patients suffering from respiratory failure.
The logistics of the project were handled by Nuovamacut Gruppo TeamSystem, who also helped with the research of the different companies who contributed to the success of the project.
Other fittings are being supplied to Solid Energy, who will use them to transform Decathlon snorkel masks into aids to protect healthcare workers exposed to infection.
In the next few days, Ferrari plans to manufacture several hundred items of equipment that are already being distributed by some of the companies involved, with the coordination of the Italian Civil Protection, to various Italian hospitals including those in Bergamo, Genoa, Modena, and Sassuolo as well as to health workers in the town of Medicina, near Bologna.
Tablets from Dealer for Hospital
Business partners Jay Feldman, Mark Wahlberg and Nino Cutraro met with the front-line ICU nurses at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak via Zoom today to learn firsthand how the team is using their 1,000 new tablet computers in the COVID-19 crisis.
Beaumont ICU Nurse Brianna Allen shared the story of a Mom separated from her newborn because of COVID-19. “Having the tablets for them was like having Mom in the room with her baby. She even got to watch the diaper changes,” said Allen.
“The tablets make it so family members can be together,” said Allen.
Local restauranteur Nino Cutraro spends a lot of time at Beaumont and was very moved by the stories of patients dying alone in the hospital. He called Mark and Jim Wahlberg who run the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and they got the first 500 tablets from Amazon. Nino then approached Jay Feldman of Feldman Automotive who ordered an additional 500 for the Beaumont team.
Facedrive Drives Testees to Centers
Facedrive Inc. the first Canadian peer-to-peer, eco-friendly and socially responsible ridesharing network is excited to announce that it is joining efforts with the Middlesex-London Health Unit to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and lessen the impact of the pandemic in the region. In the spirit of collaboration, Facedrive and the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) have partnered to offer a safe and reliable transportation service to the residents of Middlesex County and London, ON, traveling to and from the region’s COVID-19 assessment centers.
partnership that combines Facedrive’s expertise in managing an extensive pool of dedicated drivers through its ridesharing platform and the MLHU’s commitment to excellent healthcare service for all of its clients, will bring the following benefits to the communities of Middlesex County and London, ON:
Discounted flat rates for rides to and from the COVID-19 assessment centers – MLHU’s clients will now have the opportunity to undergo testing with peace of mind. This robust solution would allow more individuals to get diagnosed earlier, obtain timely medical assistance they need, and ultimately save lives. Initially, the assessment centers covered under this agreement will include Carling Heights Optimist Community Center and Oakridge Arena.
Dedicated “COVID-19 Trained” Drivers– The safety of drivers and riders is central to the joint initiative between Facedrive and the MLHU. As a part of this initiative, drivers will be trained in COVID-19 related safety protocols and receive essential safety equipment, such as hand sanitizer, gloves, disinfectant spray, face masks, etc. Moreover, drivers will be trained on providing smooth and flawless service
Zerology Donates Masks
Shree Kalluri, Zerology’s Founder & CEO, announced on Thursday that he is personally donating 16,000 KN95 masks that will go to law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin. Zerology, which owns and operates Green Cab Madison, is also supplying Green Cab drivers with masks.
The masks will be distributed to all Wisconsin municipal, county, and state law enforcement.
Insurance Credits and Rebates
NYCM Insurance will be issuing a credit to its approximately 230,000 auto policyholders. All auto policyholders as of April 30, 2020 will receive a 15% credit back from their April and May premiums. Customers will not need to do anything to receive this credit, as it will be mailed to the address on their policy in the coming weeks.
Staying home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is paying off for personal auto customers. With Americans heeding “stay at home” and “shelter in place” orders, trends show fewer miles are being driven and fewer accidents are being reported. That’s prompting insurance carriers including Westfield, a super-regional, customer-focused property and casualty insurance carrier, to offer premium relief to customers for spending more time at home and less on the roads. Westfield is announcing a 15 percent policy credit to their eligible personal auto insurance customers for three months.
p Boys, one of the nation’s leading automotive aftermarket service and parts providers, has been servicing the vehicles on which communities deeply depend through good and bad for nearly a century. As the country has navigated a global pandemic, Pep Boys Service and Parts businesses have continued operating as an essential business.
Pep Boys Continues to Repair & Care Touchlessly
The Pep Boys team has remained hard at work to support the vehicles of first responders, healthcare professionals, suppliers and delivery drivers who are working tirelessly to treat patients and provide food, medicine and other critical items. As either the sole or primary provider for thousands of state and local governments and municipalities, Pep Boys serves fleets as well as individual drivers. The essential nature of the automotive business has made the changes Pep Boys put in place to continue to keep Team Members and customers safe even more important.
Touchless Drop-Offs
Make an appointment online
Park the vehicle at the Pep Boys Service & Tire Center
Locate the key drop box outside of the building
Place the key into the envelope with contact details on the front
A Pep Boys Pro will be in touch to confirm service
Mobile Pay
After service, when the vehicle is ready, Mobile Pay is an easy, safe and secure option
A Pep Boys Pro sends the customer a link to the work order via text
Following the link, the customer enters credit card information
A confirmation text is received when payment is complete
Extra Mile Care & Cleaning
In addition to sanitizing all high-touch surfaces after the vehicle arrives at Pep Boys and before it departs, a Pep Boys Pro will also use seat and steering wheel covers and floor mats, and personal protective equipment throughout the service.
Making repairs possible
Because sometimes repairs are unavoidable and it’s an economically uncertain time, Pep Boys has partnered with Synchrony to offer 12 Months special financing on purchases of just $499 or more1 on the Pep Boys Synchrony Car Care Credit Card through May 31, 2020. Customers can use the card on a qualifying parts or service purchase and there is no penalty for customers that pay in full before the promotional period is up.
Connecting with our customers
Over the past few weeks, Pep Boys stores around the country have lived out its vision to “be the one communities can count on.” To highlight good news during challenging times, Pep Boys has shared a video about its commitment to the community and daily social posts that inspire on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
Stories have emerged such as a nurse who needed her car battery replaced so she could get to work at the local hospital; a dialysis patient whose car was quickly repaired so he could get to and from his life-saving treatments; a police department who brought several cruisers to a shop that opened special hours just for the officers; and an elderly couple who needed food and couldn’t find someone to help them get their vehicle running, until they called Pep Boys. Local community giving efforts have also started – from food pantries to face mask donations.
Pep Boys Parts CEO Chris Cox and Service CEO Brian Kaner said in a letter to customers recently, “For almost 100 years, it’s been our privilege to serve you through good times and bad, and we will continue doing everything we can to meet the challenges that lie ahead of us. We are thankful for our hardworking Team Members and proud of their commitment to continue to serve you.”
For customers that rely on Pep Boys for parts, Curbside Pick-Up is available, in locations where permitted. Customers order and pay for the parts needed on www.pepboys.com. Pep Boys parts specialists will pull the order and prepare it for pickup. Once a customer arrives at the Pep Boys location, they will simply receive the part(s) without ever having to enter the store or have direct contact with an associate.
In addition, all Pep Boys locations and distribution centers have implemented enhanced and more frequent cleaning and disinfecting practices and restrictions on the number of coworkers and customers inside, clearing waiting rooms and abiding by social distancing guidelines. Corporate office employees continue to work remotely to support the business.
Although Pep Boys is an essential business, guidelines continue to evolve nationally, on a state by state basis and in some cases, individual cities have unique requirements essential businesses must meet. Because local curfews or limits might impact operations, customers should call their local store before visiting for the best possible service.
New Autotrader 100% Online Ad
An all-new commercial debuted today from Autotrader showcasing how to alleviate consumer concerns surrounding car buying during the pandemic. The “Still Moving'” spot highlights the various home services now offered by dealers to bring convenience and comfort to in-market shoppers while minimizing in-person contact. The global health crisis has impacted the way consumers are looking to shop, with two-thirds of shoppers more likely to buy a vehicle 100% online1.
Autotrader’s Dealer Home Services enables dealers to meet consumers where they are in the car shopping process while reducing the risk of infection. There are more than 9,000 dealers signed up for Dealer Home Services allowing consumers to shop more than 3 million vehicle listings for their next car.