Following weeks of interruption due to the coronavirus pandemic, Daimler says it is planning on restarting work in some of its factories in Germany from April 20.
The country has ordered strict measures, including a ban on gatherings of more than two people in public, to stem the spread of the virus.
But in a statement, the Mercedes-Benz maker said it would be “implementing a coordinated restart of production” and this would be “in a few selected factories”.
"From April 20th this will affect the car motor factories in Germany, Mercedes-Benz car factories in Sindelfingen and Bremen and the vans factories," the statement continued.
Truck and bus sites will also open from the same date.
Daimler - whose first quarter worldwide sales slumped 15 per cent with Mercedes-Benz cars alone seeing a 20-per cent drop in China and 16 per cent in Europe - added it would extend shorter hours for its workers in Germany until April 30th, impacting "the majority of production... as well as administration".
Audi will restart production in its home plant in Ingolstadt on April 27 while BMW said it would extend a production stop until April 30th. Ford's European factories are on hold until at least May 4th.
Although it is heartening to see carmakers planning to restart work as the numbers of covid-19 infections and deaths slowly begins to decrease, whether or not they will actually be opening their factories depends on what the pandemic countermeasures implemented by the government will be like in the coming days and weeks.
