Another car manufacturer has pledged to assist frontline workers in their fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)—the parent company of well-known car brands like Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Dodge, and Fiat, just to name a few—says it will manufacture and produce more than one million protective face masks per month to help combat the deadly pandemic. It adds that production changes in its facility are already being made, and that it will begin producing masks in the coming weeks.
Initial allocation of the FCA-made masks will be to the US, Canada, and Mexico, and will make its way to police, firefighters, and healthcare workers, the brand says. What’s more, the company is already providing support to the increased production of ventilators.
“In addition to the support we are giving to increase the production of ventilators, we canvassed our contacts across the healthcare industry and it was very clear that there is an urgent and critical need for face masks,” FCA CEO Mike Manley said in a statement.
“We’ve marshaled the resources of the FCA Group to focus immediately on installing production capacity for making masks and supporting those most in need on the front line of this pandemic.”
This news comes just days after fellow carmakers Ford and General Motors became involved in battling the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing their willingness to aid the government in producing ventilators and other vital medical equipment. It’s reassuring to see the automotive industry pitching in during this crisis.
