Car companies are hard-core cross-borders and switching to masks is very reliable

The Spring Festival of the Year of Gengzi is destined to be particularly unforgettable for every Chinese. The New Year holiday, which should have been celebrated by the whole country, has become an "anti-epidemic" battlefield for the whole people to resist the new coronavirus. Medical staff who came from all over to support formed the front line of the "anti-epidemic" in Wuhan and Hubei, and more companies across the country were actively organizing to resume production, continuously providing much-needed materials and equipment for this "war of attrition".

Among these companies, there are also “car people”. When masks have become the most consumed and most scarce material at the moment, car companies such as SAIC-GM-Wuling, BYD, GAC, etc. have announced emergency production changes and stepped up the production of masks, disinfectant and other protective equipment. Among them, the slogan shouted by Wuling is particularly heart-warming: "What the people need, we will build."

Corporate social responsibility is not empty talk, only practical actions can truly benefit the people and society.

Wuling and GAC started production of masks on the same day

On February 6, SAIC-GM-Wuling, with the help of the Liuzhou government, produced masks by remodeling production lines, 14 of which were For ordinary medical masks, 4 are N95, with a daily output of 1.7 million. It is said that it only took 5 days from the idea of ??making masks to the production of masks, which can be described as strong action and quick response. On the same day, GAC also sent employees to mask manufacturers in Guangzhou and Dongguan to study and prepare for the subsequent switch to mask production.

BYD’s determination: win this silent war against the “epidemic”

Two days after SAIC-GM-Wuling’s announcement, BYD also expressed its readiness to join this silent war against the “epidemic” and serve the country The victory in the "anti-epidemic" has once again injected impetus. In addition to producing masks, they will also produce disinfectant. The daily output of masks is planned to reach 5 million and the daily output of disinfectant is 50,000 bottles.

Why can car companies switch to mask production?

Some people may ask, why can car companies achieve cross-border production conversion in a short period of time? Can the masks they produce meet the standards? Although they appreciate the corporate social responsibility attitude of car companies, the public is still concerned about the most practical issues.

First of all, the production of masks requires a dust-free workshop environment. Many precision parts of automobiles are also processed and manufactured in very harsh environments, so the car-making factory is capable of doing this after transformation. Secondly, the raw materials required for masks are the same as some materials used in automobiles. For example, SAIC-GM-Wuling converted its sound-insulating cotton processing plant into a mask production workshop because the main material of automobile sound-insulating cotton is polypropylene, which has the same production requirements as masks. . At the same time, Wuling teamed up with Guangxi Defu Group (a company specializing in the production of sound insulation cotton) to jointly produce masks, further improving the professionalism of mask raw materials. Today, SAIC-GM-Wuling announced that the first fully automated "Wuling brand" mask machine in Guangxi, independently produced by the company, has officially rolled off the production line! The equipment has high operating efficiency and low manufacturing cost. After being put into production, it will quickly increase the output of "Wuling brand masks".

For BYD, they have their own ninth business unit, which not only has medical device system certification, but also OEM medical devices, so its medical professionalism and reliability are impressive. Don't worry. In addition, masks will undergo multiple quality inspections by relevant departments before leaving the factory. Only if all indicators are qualified can they be supplied to the public.

From this point of view, it is not only reliable for car companies to switch to manufacturing masks, but it is not actually a big conversion project for them. The key lies in the integration of execution and their own quality inspection system.

Why do car companies switch to producing masks?

Some people say that car companies do this to ensure a source of income during special times. Since cars cannot be produced, masks can make up for the losses to some extent. Such an argument is obviously one-sided and somewhat tinged with "conspiracy theory." Let’s take the masks produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling as an example. In addition to being provided free of charge to front-line medical staff, these masks will also be distributed free of charge to front-line employees in the economic pillar industries of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the remaining ones will enter the social market.

If calculated based on selling price and output, the profits generated by these masks are far less than those from making cars (everyone knows the high sales of SAIC-GM-Wuling), and the relevant departments stated that these companies have no Use bank loans to carry out epidemic relief efforts. For any car company, this is a huge effort - not only do they have to stop production of normal products, but they also have to renovate workshops and production lines, train and recruit employees, and it is obviously difficult to make a decision based solely on economic considerations.

Of course, car companies can indeed greatly enhance the influence of their brands through such actions, but we still want to believe that the purpose of car companies’ conversion and hard work is actually the same as that of everyone struggling on the front line. "Epidemic" warriors are the same: they hope to defeat the epidemic as soon as possible and people's lives can return to normal.

More car companies are taking action

In addition to the above-mentioned car companies that have switched to mask production, more car companies have joined the mighty anti-epidemic army, and some have taken advantage of Overseas logistics channels are urgently purchasing medical supplies and equipment. Some have begun to assemble negative pressure ambulances, and some have directly raised donations. As of early February alone, a total of 86 car companies have contributed 1 billion yuan as With the national anti-epidemic funds, more car brands have also added functions such as on-board ultraviolet sterilization, composite electronic filters, and high-temperature bacteria reduction to their newly launched products, taking this opportunity to effectively improve the environmental safety in the cabin to better protect the environment. Consumer health and safety.

In fact, many car companies have cooperated with the research and development of medical devices, which is originally one of the ways for car companies to improve the technological content of automobiles. For example, Honda has launched Honda Walking Assist (walking assistance system), which is an innovative auxiliary walking health device launched by Honda especially for the elderly and stroke patients.

On the other hand, it is not new for automobile companies to switch production and mobilize during "wartime". During World War II, there was a precedent for automobile manufacturing companies in the United States to transform into military industries. Today, Chinese car companies have entered a "wartime" state, taking up the banner of "anti-epidemic" and doing their best to make practical and effective contributions to combating the epidemic. In the face of this disaster, the coldness of the auto market may continue for a while, but in the end it cannot withstand the warming of people's hearts.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.