Car brands in solidarity in combating the pandemic, several car brands have turned their services to support entities in combating the pandemic. Volkswagen and Ford are now working with the Portuguese Red Cross. Volkswagen provided six Volkswagen Transporters so that regional Red Cross coordinators can provide logistical and coordination support in operations, transporting employees and volunteers and distributing food and providing social support to the most needy and the elderly.
Ford ceded three Ford Puma Hybrid, one of the new Ford Kuga, three Ford Focus, one Ford Mondeo, one Ford Galaxy and one Ford Ranger Raptor, to support operations in the area of Health and Humanitarian Support. If the situation worsens, in a second phase, the entire dealer network will make available to the Portuguese Red Cross the vehicles it has available to support activities at the local level. Hyundai Portugal has made a fleet of brand vehicles available to hospital units to ensure the transportation of medicines, equipment and home support. For now, the Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central, the Hospital de São João in Porto, the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra and the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve have been contemplated.
Toyota Portugal provides vehicles for the mobility of doctors, nursing technicians and pharmacies . Support is available at two vehicle collection and delivery centers, in Lisbon and Porto. Mazda Portugal, through its dealer network, is contacting the parish councils in order to provide demonstration vehicles for the service of the senior population. At issue is the provision of SUV models, such as the CX-3, CX-30, or CX-5, which more easily access the most remote villages and places in Portugal, where the older population and with support needs are found household goods, food and medicines. The project is expected to continue until June. Regarding the production sector, Autoeuropa, in Palmela, and Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks Europe, in Tramagal, are producing protective visors for health professionals. Worldwide, China's BYD, a car manufacturer, has produce masks. Brands like General Motors (GM), Ford, Toyota, Tesla, SEAT, Daimler, Volkswagen, the PSA group, Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler are already producing fans or logistically supporting the usual manufacturers.
The Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, and the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, took stock of the measures support for workers and companies announced by the Government after the meeting of the Permanent Commission for Social Consultation. The Government has already authorized the European Commission to increase the amount of credit lines, around 13 billion euros, with State guarantee, and sectors concerned. It has been accessible since yesterday, April 8, to companies from other sectors of activity, such as commerce and services, freight transport, passenger transport, among others, the lines launched of 3 billion euros. The Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, highlighted that there have already been 33366 companies resorting to the measure to support the maintenance of jobs, in a maximum universe of workers of 566 751 workers. The numbers indicated the registration of 345 deaths and 184 recovered.
After closing the year 2019 with a slight drop, the sales of the automotive sector in Portugal registered, in March, a decrease of 56.6% compared to the same period in 2019, due to the crisis caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Thus, the legal representatives of the brand operating in Portugal registered, in the last month, only 12 399 motor vehicles, data presented by ACAP - Associação Automóvel de Portugal. In the first quarter of 2020, 52 941 new vehicles were put into circulation, which represented a year-on-year decrease of 24% compared to the previous year. The reduction in sales is more noticeable in passenger cars. In March 2020, 10 596 new light passenger cars were registered in Portugal, 57.4% less than in March 2019, and in the first quarter, 45 282 units were sold, a decrease of 23.8% compared to the previous period. year-on-year. The light goods car market registered a 51.2% drop in March 2020 (1 557 registered units) compared to March 2019, and in the first quarter of 2020 it recorded 24% less sales ( 6 636 units). The heavy vehicle market, which includes types of passengers and goods and goods tractors, suffered a 46.6% drop in March compared to the same month of the previous year (246 vehicles). From January to March 2020, enrollments were sold 1,023 units, 29.5% less than in the same period of 2019.
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