Coronavirus: German carmakers pledge to help build medical equipment

Germany's auto industry association VDA said on Tuesday its members would help to build and supply medical equipment to fight the coronavirus, but warned they would need to meet the standards and processes of the medical industry.

BMW, Volkswagen and others have pledged to help manufacture and supply hospital ventilators and face masks by making use of 3D printing machines, as governments scramble to contain the crisis.

The VDA has received requests for help, VDA president Hildegard Mueller said.

"We are in close touch with our companies about this question and are working on possibilities for supporting the production of components equipment and products," Mueller said in a statement.

However the production and assembly of this equipment needs to meet the hygiene and safety standards of the medical industry, a step which requires additional tests to ensure the safety of the population, the VDA said.

"The safety of people and the protection of the population in this exceptional situation has top priority for the German automotive industry," the VDA said.