Ford Has Purchased Extreme-Cold Freezers To Hold Coronavirus Vaccines For Its Workers

Coronavirus has hit the automotive industry hard. At one point, Ford estimated it would lose $5 billion due to the pandemic. Fortunately, the loss turned out to be closer to $1.9 billion. The main contributing factor to that number? Factory shutdowns. With factories down, production of course comes to a halt. With a vaccine in sight, Ford will do anything in its power to prevent those shutdowns from happening again. The answer, for now, seems to be ordering ultra-cold freezers.

If you haven’t heard, the vaccine being developed by Pfizer requires it to be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a lot colder than your average freezer so Ford prematurely invested in the ultra-cold freezers. A dozen, to be exact. Reuters reports the freezers won’t set Ford back that much being that they cost around $15,000 each, or up to $180,000 for the dozen. To a regular family that’s unattainable, to Ford that’s pocket change to avoid a shutdown.

“We’re doing this so that we can make the vaccine available to our employees on a voluntary basis,” Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said

In several states, autoworkers are considered essential workers but they but will be in line behind healthcare workers and nursing home residents to receive the vaccine. When it’s their turn though, Ford wants to be hit the ground running.

Again, the vaccines will be voluntary. It was not reported which company is supplying Ford with the freezers. Some specialty freezer makers have warned of months-long waits for units.