Slowing the infection rate of the coronavirus, which has infected close to 600,000 people in the US alone, can only be accomplished by social distancing and remaining at home, two factors that make it very difficult for many to receive essential goods. Volkswagen realized it could do something to help those in need by asking its dealerships to transform their loaner vehicles into community service fleets.

The automaker is now supporting its US dealerships who seek to repurpose their loaner fleets to offer free pick ups and deliveries for those in need. Introducing VW's "Dealer Response Team," a simple idea that'll make a big difference. It consists of two things: a dealership employee serving as a driver and a vehicle.

Drivers will be assigned tasks such as deliveries to a local food bank, transporting masks and gowns to critical areas, and even making personal deliveries to those unable to leave their homes. All of this will be done at zero cost. VW and its dealer will handle everything free of charge. VW corporate will offer dealers a daily stipend to cover fuel and lease costs.

All told, VW has over 600 dealerships across the country with a total of almost 7,000 loaner vehicles at its disposal. VW is aware some dealers are closed due to circumstances beyond their control because they must adhere to local health guidelines.

"Since this pandemic began, our dealers have been quick to react to support those in need within their local communities," said Saad Chehab, VW Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Some dealers already decided to 'drive bigger' and start their own pickup and delivery service programs. Today, we are announcing our brand's financial contribution to those efforts across the entire dealer network and giving them the support to do even more. So if you happen to see a Volkswagen Atlas driving by marked with 'Community Driven' on its side, know it's driving for a great cause."

The most common model likely to be used for delivery tasks, as mentioned above, is the Atlas crossover, though it's possible other models in dealer loaner fleets will also see service.