Major global automakers General Motors, Volkswagen AG, and Ford Motor are ramping up production in the US to deliver combined 8mn pickup trucks and commercial vans.
During a web presentation at an auto conference, Jim Farley, chief operating officer, Ford, said the company will return to full capacity by July 6 and has built about 96pc of its planned volume. The carmaker is also adding a third shift to its crucial facilities.
About 72pc of Ford dealers in North America offer sales online, and that a quarter of company sales have come from the internet.
GM also intends to reach full capacity by the end of the month, possibly sooner, said Dhivya Suryadevara, the company’s chief financial officer. She added that robust consumer demand has impelled the company to ramp up productions.
Despite the pandemic, GM is investing $20bn over the next half-decade in electric and automated vehicles, even though the cash it initially intended to generate this quarter will likely come in Q3 2020. Suryadevara said it will depend on how quickly GM can ramp up production.