I believe that before the outbreak of this epidemic, most people’s understanding of car companies was at the car manufacturing level. However, due to the impact of the epidemic and the shortage of medical supplies, many Chinese car companies have stepped forward. Not only have they donated money and supplies, they have even rolled up their sleeves and made their own supplies.
Recently, there is news that due to the shortage of ventilators in the United States, companies such as General Motors, Ford, and Tesla have obtained the manufacturing qualifications to manufacture ventilators. At the same time, car companies in Europe, Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries have also obtained the qualifications to manufacture ventilators. Begin to respond to the government's call and join the ranks of providing medical supplies. So, today we might as well take a look at what the global car companies have done during this epidemic!
01? Masks are being made at home and abroad
The saying "Wuling will make whatever the people need" has made Wuling's move to switch to mask production deeply rooted in the hearts of the Chinese people, but at the same time as Wuling switched to mask production , domestic car companies such as GAC and BYD have also invested in the production of masks. As early as March 16, SAIC-GM-Wuling and BYD announced that they would gradually release masks to the public.
At present, these three car companies not only produce masks, but also manufacture their own machines for producing masks. It is precisely thanks to their efforts that the domestic mask production pressure has been relieved to a certain extent. Compared with the foreign growth rate of 13,500 and the production capacity of only 20 million pieces per day, the country is already too happy.
It is precisely because of the serious imbalance between the supply and demand of foreign masks that many overseas car companies have begun to "copy the operation." Recently, FCA Group announced that it will switch to producing masks in its Chinese factory and donate them to North American countries such as the United States, Canada and Mexico. According to foreign reports, at the request of the German government, Volkswagen and other automobile companies are considering using joint venture factories in China to produce masks, ventilators and other medical equipment. Moreover, as part of its aid plan to the German medical system, Volkswagen will also purchase medical equipment worth up to tens of millions of euros from China and ship it to Germany.
02? General Motors, Ford and Tesla build ventilators
On March 19, the governor of New York State in the United States stated that there are currently less than 6,000 ventilators in New York and the demand is at least It’s 30,000 units. However, the current total number of ventilators in the United States is only about 200,000, so ventilators have become a medical supply in short supply in the United States. But unlike masks, ventilators are complex and precise machines, so even car companies don't say they can easily switch production.
Currently, General Motors, Ford and Tesla have obtained the qualifications to switch to ventilator production, and Tesla has stated that it will quickly deliver 1,200 ventilators. Other car companies such as McLaren announced that they will study the production and manufacturing of ventilators, and Rolls-Royce expressed its willingness to provide help at any time. Meanwhile, Vauxhall, Honda UK, Toyota UK and Volkswagen have all started ventilator production. As of March 24, 11 overseas car companies have made it clear that they will produce ventilators or help ventilator companies speed up production.
However, compared with switching to masks, switching to ventilator production is not an easy task. In addition to requiring professionals and patented technology, transforming the production line is also a problem. British mechanical engineer expert Helen Meese said that the production line and production process of ventilators cannot be completed overnight. It will take at least several weeks. Automobile companies that are not good at producing medical equipment may take several It takes months to make the parts from scratch.
03?Have you ever seen a car with a built-in “thermometer”?
At present, most temperature measurement methods when going out are implemented by thermometers. Although this method is convenient and efficient enough, for staff, there are still certain safety risks due to the large number of people in contact. Under this premise, SAIC-GM-Wuling and Changan Automobile have given their solutions - mobile temperature measurement vehicles.
On February 20, SAIC-GM-Wuling delivered the first batch of smart mobile temperature measurement vehicles to the Liuzhou Municipal Government for use; later on February 1, Changan Automobile also installed them on Changan CS75?PLUS We have developed an AI intelligent thermal imaging temperature measurement system and provided it free of charge to Chongqing high-speed rail stations, communities and other municipal, transportation, and medical service institutions.
04? Goggles, disinfectant and snail powder are indispensable!
For the public, masks are in short supply, but for front-line workers, goggles and disinfectants are also in short supply. In order to ensure the urgent needs of front-line workers, Shaanxi Automobile and Zunyi Automobile have joined the ranks of manufacturing medical goggles. BYD's Ninth Business Unit is not only working hard on masks, but also produces disinfectant gel and has achieved a production capacity of 300,000 bottles per day.
In contrast, the most eye-catching thing is SAIC-GM-Wuling. In addition to producing masks, it has also started producing snail noodles! But unlike the above-mentioned medical supplies, the main reason why SAIC-GM-Wuling produces snail noodles is that most related products on the market are currently out of stock, so they have the idea of ????converting to snail noodles, and the production of snail noodles may become a long-term goal of SAIC-GM-Wuling. One of the development businesses.
05? Bosch launches new coronavirus detection instrument
Original manufacturers are busy, and spare parts manufacturers are not idle either. Recently, Doctor Group announced the success of its latest research and development, a COVID-19 fully automatic rapid tester that can help medical institutions such as clinics, hospitals, laboratories and health centers achieve rapid diagnosis. According to Bosch, it took only six weeks to develop the rapid detection solution. The rapid molecular diagnostic test will be mounted on the Vivalytic analytical device developed by Bosch Healthcare Solutions. From sample collection to result presentation, it only takes two and a half hours to determine whether a patient is positive. With current testing options, patients typically have to wait one to two days for diagnostic results. Among all current laboratory tests for the new coronavirus, the accuracy rate of Bosch's detection solution has exceeded 95%.
Compared to the boastful capitalists, it is still the manufacturing entities that can really shoulder the burden in the face of the epidemic. Today, more than 100 foreign automobile factories have shut down operations. For automobile companies and parts manufacturers, they are very clear that switching to the production of medical supplies is not only an urgent need for the country and the people, but also an urgent need for themselves. It is precisely for this reason that in the face of the epidemic, most car companies will try their best to use their existing resources to donate or produce urgently needed supplies, perhaps out of sincerity or selfishness.
(Picture source from the Internet, infringement and deletion)
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.