Ford Motor Co. and GE Healthcare have announced they will produce 50,000 ventilators in the next 100 days to help in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Starting in April at our Rawsonville Components Plant in Michigan, we’re producing a new FDA-cleared ventilator with GE Healthcare and Airon Corporation, targeting production of 50,000 units in the next 100 days,” Ford said in a statement on Monday (March 30).
“The ventilator is designed to operate on air pressure without electricity, making it a versatile solution to help those fighting COVID-19,” Ford added.
Ford states they will pay 500 UAW-represented volunteer employees to build the ventilators at the Rawsonville Components Plant plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They will begin production the week of April 20, according to both Ford and GE.
“The Ford and GE Healthcare teams, working creatively and tirelessly, have found a way to produce this vitally needed ventilator quickly and in meaningful numbers,” Jim Hackett, Ford’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Hackett added, “By producing this ventilator in Michigan, in strong partnership with the UAW, we can help health care workers save lives, and that’s our No. 1 priority.”