Nearly all light-vehicle output in North America is being idled for at least several days amid the crisis and its associated impact on car and light-truck sales. The shutdowns also will cascade through supply chains in the coming weeks.
Once auto sales return to healthy levels, they are poised to become mainstream vehicles because of the maturation of the technology.
As the coronavirus begins to tear through the U.S. auto industry, automakers must weigh the costs of keeping their employees on the payroll or sending them to the unemployment line.
Some observers are comparing the global health crisis to the Great Recession of 2008-09 in its impact on parts makers. But the sector is in better financial shape today.
The auto retail industry is fighting a tug of war between protecting customers and employees from the deadly coronavirus and doing its part to keep the economy afloat.