Wave of Donations from Automakers to fight against coronavirus

Beijing (Gasgoo)- The pressure is extreme to find a vaccine or adequate medical material after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which also requires substantial resources. From late January on, automakers have made sizeable donations to help the biggest auto market’s fight against the novel coronavirus.  

Apart from cash, automakers have also set up special funding for the treatment and research, and sent medical supplies, equipment and ambulances to those virus-affected regions. Some mobility service provider, owned by automakers, also gave their aid by offering free service to residents, medical staff after the public transportation has been suspended in Wuhan, the epicenter.

Dongfeng Motor Group, based in Wuhan, donated a total of RMB36 million, along with its subsidiaries, to three cities of Hubei Province, namely Wuhan, where it is headquarted, Shiyan, where the company started from, and Xiangyang, one of its major production bases. Dongfeng Sokon, the joint venture between Dongfeng and Chongqing Sokon, gave Hubei province many vehicles, which are worth RMB5 million.

Geely Holding announced a RMB200 million funding to help prevent further spread of the virus. The special funding will be used to buy masks, respirators as well as to build new hospitals in virus-hit regions. The company has also committed to donating fifty Geely-branded MPVs to assist with the transportation needs.

Many international automakers also made contribution to the fight. Volkswagen Group, along with its brands and joint ventures in China, donated RMB120 million to support the fight. Apart from a donation of RMB5 million in cash, Tesla also offers free Supercharging, which may help facilitate owners’ daily life even in cities that are currently locked down.

On the list, we can also see some startups, including NIO, WM motor, Xpeng Motor, etc. Some automakers even donated negative pressure ambulances.

Thank you.