The automaker has pushed back targeted opening dates twice now as the pandemic worsens. It was previously aiming to begin work at Hermosillo Assembly in Mexico on April 6 and a handful of U.S. plants on April 14.

Mid-April appears to be the earliest that most North America production could resume, but the deaths of at least six UAW members at Ford and FCA in the United States underscore the worries many workers have about returning to the factory floor. In Canada, the union Unifor remains skeptical about a return to production.

The next Detroit auto show is now scheduled for June 2021, organizers told sponsors on Saturday.The TCF Center, where the show was set to take place in June, is being converted by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency for a field hospital as coronavirus cases in Michigan rise.

In an SEC filing the automaker also said CEO Jim Hackett, COO Jim Farley and CFO Tim Stone will defer 50 per cent of their pay, beginning May 1.

Ford said it will reopen some key truck factories by mid-April while Honda and Toyota, citing slumping sales,  extended shutdowns at North American factories. Ford's plans raised more concerns at the UAW, which has pressed the Detroit Three to shutter plants to protect workers and help stem the spread of the coronavirus. FCA said it looks to resume production April 14.

The automaker did not offer a new date when production would resume. GM said it would continue to reevaluate its production timeline.

The automaker is also tapping two lines of credit, raising an additional US$13.4 billion in cash under a corporate credit facility and another US$2 billion under a supplemental credit facility. 

GM said the shutdowns will begin today, while Ford’s will take place Thursday. Meanwhile, FCA says its North American plants will close "starting progressively from today through the end of March." 

The plan paves the way for deep cleaning and other worker protections while defusing union pressure for a two-week shutdown.

The lender said Monday that customers in the United States and Canada affected by the global spread of coronavirus could delay payments on leases or purchases.

The Detroit Three and United Autoworkers in the United States on Sunday said they have formed a joint task force to increase safety and health protections for factory employees and help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. GM Canada says it will follow the panel's lead.

The four-door crossover, part of a family of off-road vehicles, was expected to be formally unveiled next month at the New York auto show, but that exhibition has now been postponed.

The automaker will offer the EV in cargo van, cutaway and chassis cab configurations, plus three roof heights and three body lengths. The van joins an F-150 EV and the Mustang Mach-E in Ford's growing electric-vehicle portfolio.

The newly promoted COO says the automaker must fix warranty and launch issues, accelerate its connectivity efforts and grow opportunities with electric and autonomous vehicles.

The next-generation pickup, Ford's biggest seller and most-profitable vehicle, features a Ranger-esque grille and higher hood than the current model. It goes on sale late this year.