President Trump has ordered General Motors to produce ventilators under the Defense Production Act. The company previously announced today they were already doing just that.
But President Trump publicly made it known he was skeptical of what GM was doing.
“Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course,” Trump said.
“GM was wasting time,” the president asserted. “Today’s action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives.”
The President also demanded the company produce ventilators at the Lordstown Plant that the company no longer owns.
Despite what Trump says facts suggest GM is acting and working to produce ventilators at record pace.
The company released a statement shortly after this article broke:
Ventec, GM and our supply base have been working around the clock for weeks to meet this urgent need. Our commitment to build Ventec’s high-quality critical care ventilator, VOCSN, has never wavered.
The partnership between Ventec and GM combines global expertise in manufacturing quality and a joint commitment to safety to give medical professionals and patients access to life-saving technology as rapidly as possible. The entire GM team is proud to support this initiative.
The details of the order are yet unknown. We’ll update this story as more information becomes available.
Zane Merva is the Executive Editor of GM-Trucks.com and the President of the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA). A veteran automotive journalist with over 26 years of experience, Zane is a designated ‘Car Talk’ Expert and has been a contributor to The Boston Globe. He possesses a unique evaluative perspective, having road-tested more than 2,000 vehicles across every major manufacturer. While he is a recognized authority on General Motors truck platforms—including the Silverado, Sierra, and Colorado—his expertise is grounded in decades of deep competitive analysis that few in the industry can match. His commentary has been featured by major OEMs and media outlets, including Hyundai and PR Newswire