March 18, 2020—The United Kingdom Prime Minister has reportedly approached OEMs to inquire into whether their production lines can be used to make medical equipment, according to a report by Autocar.
At present, the NHS is said to have only around 5,000 ventilators at its disposal. According to the report, Ford and Honda have confirmed they've been approached on the matter of making additional ventilators.
The Prime Minister has reached out to those with relevant experience due to the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The global automotive industry has already been profoundly impacted by the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease, with firms including FCA, Ferrari and Lamborghini forced to temporarily close their primary production facilities to protect workers, suppliers and customers.
