Elon Musk Responds To NYC Mayor's Request To Supply More Ventilators

Elon Musk has responded to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s request to supply ventilators for the city’s medical facilities. In a post on Twitter, Musk noted that his team would be contacting NYC to get an outlook as to what the city needs.

Following the Tesla CEO’s previous post, where he noted that both Tesla and SpaceX have some experience producing HVAC systems and life support equipment, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio promptly pointed out that the city is looking for more ventilators, which are incredibly crucial for those affected by the coronavirus outbreak. In a tweet, the mayor stated that New York City needs thousands of ventilators as soon as possible. 

“@elonmusk New York City is buying. Our country is facing a drastic shortage, and we need ventilators ASAP — we will need thousands in this city over the next few weeks. We’re getting them as fast as we can, but we could use your help! We’re reaching out to you directly,” he wrote. 

Sounds good, we will connect with your team to understand potential needs

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 19, 2020

Musk, in a recent reply, acknowledged the mayor’s request. “Sounds good, we will connect with your team to understand potential needs,” the Tesla CEO wrote. 

Musk is not alone in offering his company’s services to help out the country’s medical infrastructure during these trying times. In previous announcements, fellow American automakers GM and Ford have also stated that they are willing to use their facilities to help produce ventilators for those in need. In a way, Tesla, GM, and Ford are showing a united front against the C19 virus, which is quite encouraging on its own right. 

Amidst the looming ventilator shortage in the United States, some companies that produce the valuable medical equipment have stated that they could increase production if needed. However, several ventilator makers have noted that they are yet to receive larger orders from the US government. 

With this in mind, it may be a good idea for Elon Musk and team to acquire the first batch of needed ventilators by purchasing them outright. Such a solution would likely be more costly, but it would be faster, and it would allow Musk and company to cater to the needs of NYC quickly. This strategy will do, at least until Tesla or SpaceX could start the production of ventilators.