Three automakers in China to produce masks as efforts against new coronavirus

Three automakers in China are gearing up to produce medical supplies, such as face masks and disinfectants, as the rapid spread of new coronavirus emerging in Wuhan is draining resources across the country.

BYD announced on Feb. 8 it is working on designing and manufacturing the facilities for the production of masks and disinfectants.

The Shenzhen-based automaker said the production of the aforesaid supplies is expected to begin around Feb. 17 and will continue until the epidemic is eliminated. By the end of Feb., the respective output capacity of masks and disinfectants can reach 5 million units and 50,000 bottles per day. 

(Photo source: GAC Group's WeChat account)

At the same time, the Guangzhou-based automaker GAC Group claimed it is hammering out a plan to construct equipment available for the production of masks and has dispatched some employees for a 15-day training to grasp technologies and processes about the facility building as soon as possible.

The project will be carried out by GAC Group's auto parts business unit and won't affect the production of complete vehicles. 

(Photo source: Baojun's WeChat account)

SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture formed by General Motors and two Chinese automakers, said on Feb. 6 it will partner with its suppliers to produce masks by refitting existing assembly lines. A dust-free workshop, which is set to start operation within Feb., will have 14 mask production lines with an expected daily capacity of over 1.7 million units. Of those, 4 lines are for N95 masks and the other 10 are for general medical masks.