Nissan extends U.S. production shutdown until mid-May

WASHINGTON — Nissan Motor Co. said Thursday it will extend a shutdown of U.S. manufacturing plants until mid-May, citing the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The automaker previously scheduled its production halt through April 27.

Nissan said last week it put 10,000 U.S. hourly workers on unpaid furlough starting April 6. Subaru Corp said Tuesday it plans to restart production at its Indiana assembly plant on May 11.

Some automakers have said they hope to resume U.S. production on May 4, but other auto executives think the industry restart may be pushed to mid-May. Industry and political leaders are discussing plans to restart the U.S. and regional economies.