GM lays out post-coronavirus lockdown plan

General Motors production restart will focus on trucks, crossovers, SUVs

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General Motors plans to restart most of its U.S. assembly plants with one production shift as coronavirus restrictions roll back, the company said during its Wednesday earnings call.

May 18 is the target date to resume some production in the United States, GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler, have said.

GENERAL MOTORS EKES OUT PROFIT AS CORONAVIRUS SLAMS BUSINESS

After restarting, GM's U.S. plants will add second and third shifts "as appropriate," a spokesperson told FOX Business. GM pivoted to making items like ventilators to fight the pandemic.

"We will be focused on our trucks, crossovers and SUVs," the spokesperson said. "We are in the process of communicating and training our teams in the safety protocols that will be in place."

Tim Baldwin, left, and Bill Merkle work on making protective masks in Warren, Mich., Thursday, April 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

GM eked out a profit during the first three months of the year despite the coronavirus slowing business to a standstill during the final weeks of the first quarter.

Last week, Ford said it will use the lessons it learned from reopening its facilities in China when it reopens U.S. plants.

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Ford began reopening Chinese factories in February and the company said Thursday that it has been manufacturing medical equipment there.

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