On May 18, general motors co., ford motor co., and fiat Chrysler LLC officially returned to work at their north American plants.

    According to Reuters, some automakers and suppliers have resumed production at plants so that assembly lines can quickly start producing higher-margin vehicles like the Suburban and ford f-150.

    At least 52 factories are back on the job, Detroit Free Press reported.

    A ford spokesman said plants running on three shifts before the shutdown would reopen on two shifts, while plants running on two shifts would reopen on one shift.

    Gm plants that previously operated two or three shifts will resume production on one shift.

    JimFarley, ford's chief operating officer, said data collected internally showed a positive correlation between consumer travel and vehicle sales.This means that with the relaxation of government controls, auto companies may see a recovery in sales in the future.

    The Associated Press estimates that about 133,000 U.S. workers, more than half the number before the outbreak, will return to car production lines.

    General motors, ford and fiat Chrysler have introduced a series of safety measures to contain the spread of the disease, including temperature measurements for workers entering factories, personal protective equipment such as masks and hoods, and deep cleaning of factory floors, Reuters reported.

    Since mid-march, the proliferation of novel coronavirus has forced U.S. automakers to suspend production.North American production of cars, pickups and suvs, including sedans, pickups and suvs, was just 4,840 units in April, down from 1.4 million a year earlier, the journal said, citing data from Autonews.

    AutoNation, North America's largest car retailer, said sales of new and used cars were down 20 per cent at the end of April compared with a year earlier, after falling 50 per cent in the first 10 days of the month.Mike Jackson, the company's chief executive, said some consumers bought cars during the outbreak to avoid using public transportation.

    The long - term production stoppage also caused the automobile manufacturer and the supplier the big cash flow pressure.Julie Fream, President of the Original Equipment Supplier Association, said the industry needs to inject about $20 billion to $25 billion as soon as possible to avoid problems such as bankruptcy.

    With the current situation in the United States still not optimistic, the road back to work for the local car companies is not smooth.

    On May 11, local time, The Verge reported that tesla's fremont, calif., plant had resumed making cars over The weekend without reaching an agreement with The alameda county government.

    On May 12, tesla CEO elon musk said on the social network, "the company has resumed production in violation of Alameda county regulations.I will stand with all the staff and if anyone is arrested, arrest me alone."

    Detroit, May 13 (ap) -- alameda county public health authorities announced that the tesla plant in fremont, calif., could resume production this week and start making cars next Monday, on the condition that previously agreed worker safety precautions are put in place.

    The number of confirmed cases and 89,561 deaths in the U.S. stood at 1.4866 as of 2:32 p.m. Edt (GMT + 8) on May 18, according to bloomberg data on the outbreak.