GM CEO says making ventilators changed the company culture

By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — The CEO of General Motors says the automaker learned valuable lessons last year when it stepped in to boost emergency production of ventilators to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients. Mary Barra said the company was able to help a small West Coast ventilator maker start large-scale production in about a month. That gave GM confidence to speed up other tasks. She told the Automotive Press Association of Detroit on Thursday that the experience helping Ventec Life Systems ramp up production changed GM’s culture. Now the company moves faster on electric vehicles, software and other projects.