After several weeks of being out of work and off the assembly lines, the hope to return to work for many of the North American automakers has been thwarted and extended due to the continued spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

Originally, most plants were to go quiet in mid-March and expected to resume operations after only a couple of weeks, but that has since come and gone. Thankfully, the expertise and materials that are used to make cars can also be used to make other things that are necessary to the care and recovery of those who have this terrible virus.

What Are Automakers Doing?

Nissan factories are already closed and will remain closed in April, BMW had originally planned to shut its Spartanburg, SC plant for two weeks starting April 3 but that timeframe changed to March 25. Currently, the plan is for BMW to remain closed until at least April 12th. Ford has delayed production of its vehicles through the end of April but has been called upon to begin to work on making respirators and other needed medical equipment to aid those fighting the pandemic.

Potential Good News On the Horizon

Ferrari doesn’t have a plant in North America, and with the number of cases of COVID-19 found in Italy, the fact that Ferrari is planning to reopen its plant on April 14 is a good sign of Italy being on the downward side of the curve. FCA plants, which are related to Ferrari, are also targeting April 14 as a potential date to reopen in Canada and the US. This may be delayed with the number of COVID-19 cases still growing in the US and Canada but this is a date that is being targeted right now.

Aiding the Cause to Solve a Crisis

Ford and Lincoln announced on March 31 that all car production would be delayed indefinitely, which is a huge blow to these brands because a majority of the current models sold under Ford and Lincoln names are made in North America. As mentioned, the Ford plant at Ypsilanti, MI will open during the week of April 20 to produce the ventilated needed for hospitals around the country.

More Brands Shut Down

Many of the brands that we think of as foreign have models that are built right here in the US. Honda and Acura models are made in Ohio, Alabama, and Indiana. These brands are targeting a restart of production on April 7, but that will likely be delayed. Hyundai has a plant in Montgomery, AL which has been closed for a few weeks with plans to resume production on April 13. Kia is following suit with Hyundai and is hopeful to reopen the West Point, GA plant on April 13 to continue the production of the Optima, Sorento, and Telluride. This may be an optimistic date and the actual date to reopen may be pushed back toa later time.

Hopeful Brands May Need to Change Course

Many of the Subaru models we drive and enjoy come out of the Lafayette, IN plant, which was originally going to resume production on March 30 but has pushed that date back to April 6. It appears, that this date will once again be pushed back. Tesla was set to begin production of the new Model Y when the
pandemic began to hit California. Expected production will likely be delayed beyond the April 7date due to the shelter-in-place orders that are in effect in California right now.

A Smart Date from Toyota

As of right now, the Toyota and Lexus brands aren’t expected to restart production in the US or Canada until at least April 20. That’s longer than most of the other foreign brands have announced, giving the Toyota team more time to try and be clear of the virus.

Weathering the Storm

While the dates are fluid and nothing can be written in pen right now, once we do know that we are on the downward slope of the COVID-19 outbreak, you can expect to see life begin to get back to normal. This virus has affected everyone, including the automotive industry.