Automakers are stepping up in various ways, in order to help those effected by Hurricane Sandy cope with the natural disaster.  Known right now are contributions of aid or assistance by Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Fisker and Nissan.  Toyota and Ford have opted to give in the most straightforward money donations. Ford has announced that its own employees have collected $50,000 to donate, and Toyota has stated that it will contribute $1 million in support of relief efforts. Both companies have made these contributions to the American Red Cross.

Where as other automakers have opted to offer tangible, on-the-ground resources to the relief effort. GM has pledged 50 utility vehicles, including Express cargo vans, Traverse crossovers and Tahoe SUVs, to the Red Cross. The vehicles will be fitted with 200 OnStar Hands-Free calling minutes and a month of turn-by-turn navigation. GM has also donated $250,000 to the Red Cross.

Fisker Automotive has offered up its 3.2-million-square-foot Wilmington, DE facility as a staging area for rescue crews and power trucks.

For many, part the rebuilding process will be replacing their flooded vehicle(s). To that end, Nissan North America has announced that it will offer discounted pricing and financing on new cars through January 2 to help victims replace the transportation they may have lost from flood or storm damage. For current customers, Nissan is also offering payment extensions for the next three payments without fees. Ford has also just announced a similar program, offering a $500 discount on new vehicles and allowing current owners to skip a payment or two.