At the same time, market data analysis agency LMC? Automotive lowered its forecast of American automobile sales by 300,000 vehicles to 654,380+065,000 vehicles in 2020, which will be the lowest sales level in the American automobile market since 2065,438+04.
Under the epidemic, the European and American auto markets suffered an unprecedented blow.
No car company can be immune to it. When China was ravaged by the epidemic, some multinational car companies had already had different degrees of influence. With the spread of the epidemic, the scope of this influence is constantly expanding, the automobile manufacturing industry will stagnate, and the task of automobile enterprises in various countries has also shifted from production to anti-epidemic.
America's Big Three joined forces to fight the epidemic.
On March 15, the three giants of American auto companies, General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Yafeite Chrysler Company, announced that they would form a coronavirus task force with the United Auto Workers' Union to improve the protection measures for manufacturing workers and warehouse employees and strictly control the outbreak of factory epidemic.
Image source: General Motors
It is reported that the three car companies will cooperate to screen tourists, increase the cleaning and disinfection of public areas, and take a series of isolation and protection measures for people with symptoms and related contacts.
The three car companies said in a joint statement: "This is an unprecedented turbulent situation, and the working group will take prompt action and take extensive preventive measures. We will work with Qi Xin to ensure the safety and health of employees. "
Starting from Monday, Ford's factories and enterprises around the world require non-frontline employees and employees in key positions to work from home. Moreover, GM has also made the same requirements for employees to telecommute. It should be noted that neither Ford nor GM's telecommuting requirements include workers in their China companies and production lines.
At the same time, Ford removed car advertisements in the United States and replaced them with anti-epidemic advertisements. Mark Truby, a spokesman for Ford Motor Company, said that although the current situation is rather unstable, he does not think that any of Ford's major factories will be completely closed. GM and Fiat Chrysler also expressed this attitude.
Although the American auto giants had previously said that they would not stop production, the three major American auto companies decided to close their North American factories on March 19 until March 30 due to the pressure of American trade unions and concerns about the spread of the epidemic.
European car companies are caught in a wave of production suspension, and British car companies plan to switch to medical supplies.
On March 14, Ferrari, an Italian ultra-luxury sports car manufacturer, announced that it would stop production for two weeks for the safety of workers.
On March 16, Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari announced that its factories in Magnera and Modena would stop production. Lamborghini, whose production capacity is all in Italy, also announced that it would stop the Italian production line, and it is expected to resume production on March 25th.
Image source: Ferrari
On March 17, audi ag, the world's largest automobile manufacturer, also announced that it would close all its factories in Europe for 2-3 weeks.
On the same day, two French car companies Renault and PSA also announced the suspension of production. Renault will close its 12 factory in France, and the number of people affected will reach18,000. A day ago, Renault closed its two factories in Spain.
According to the statistics of Geshi Automobile, European head car enterprise groups such as Volkswagen Group, PSA, FCA and Nissan-Renault Alliance will all close their factories all over Europe, involving at least 23 automobile brands. For a time, European car companies fell into a wave of production suspension.
In addition to the car factory, Brannbo, Ma Ruili? Marelli) and other European head auto parts suppliers also need to stop production.
During the closure of the factory, Audi AG said that he would work by teleconference and video conference, isolate employees who have been to the epidemic area, require employees to work at home, and restrict business trips.
The anti-epidemic work of British car companies seems to be more active.
According to British media Autocar, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed with British car companies including Ford, Honda and Rolls-Royce whether their production lines can be temporarily converted into masks, ventilators and other medical equipment needed by NHS. The news has been confirmed by Ford and Honda, who said they are preparing for the work.
Image source: Ford Motor Company
Will China be a life-saving medicine?
With the global epidemic worsening, the situation in China is gradually improving.
As of March 18, newly confirmed cases, newly suspected cases and existing suspected cases in Hubei have been cleared, and 70,420 cases have been cured and discharged nationwide.
As the fourth largest automobile manufacturing industrial base in China, Hubei has10.5 million automobile manufacturing enterprises above designated size, and produces more than 2 million automobiles annually, accounting for 8.8% of the national output. In Wuhan, the center of the epidemic area, there are 7 complete vehicle enterprises, 2 automobile assembly plants 12, more than 500 parts enterprises, and 4 automobile R&D institutions above the provincial level 14, with an annual output of more than one million vehicles.
At present, enterprises in Hubei have resumed production. At the press conference held by the State Council Office, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xin expressed support for Hubei auto parts industry to give priority to the resumption of production, so as to alleviate the global auto parts gap due to the epidemic.
Foreign auto companies have imported parts from China to cope with the possible supply interruption crisis. A few days ago, a cargo flight of China Eastern Airlines carried 80.45 tons of auto parts from Pudong Airport to Chicago. GM used 65,438+06 chartered planes to transport China parts to its production bases in North America, Brazil and Argentina.
In addition to air transportation, marine logistics is also the main way for multinational automobile companies to transport spare parts. It is understood that since the outbreak, haitong international Automobile Terminal has completed 94 berthing operations, loaded and unloaded 58,378 vehicles, and shipped 30,000 sets of spare parts to Thailand and 2,000 sets to India.
Importing spare parts from China will alleviate the crisis of global car companies' supply failure, but China car companies are also facing a shortage of spare parts and need to fill the demand. If we receive orders from all over the world again, it will inevitably increase the production pressure. In addition, the cost of charter flights is expensive, which will increase the production cost of car companies; Slow shipping speed will increase the time cost of car companies. Neither way is a long-term solution. I hope that European and American countries can learn from China's anti-epidemic experience and complete the resumption of work and production as soon as possible.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.