Mark Buzzell, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company of Canada, kicked off the sixth annual CADEX conference in Halifax, N.S., by tackling everything from autonomous vehicles to safety features, ride sharing, car ownership and vehicle financing.
The advancement of driverless car technology and the development of ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft, along with questions surrounding the future of vehicle ownership have been increasingly discussed in the auto industry. But while many changes are on the horizon, Buzzell says some things have not changed.
In an interview with Canadian auto dealer, Buzzell said “even though there might be changes in ownership models, at the end of the day a lot of people are going to want to buy (vehicles) — especially SUVs, trucks and commercial vehicles.” He adds he expects driverless cars will make up a small part of the company’s future business in Canada.
As of next year, he says Ford will be offering a greater level of safety features in all of its vehicles (including sedans, crossovers and trucks). It’s an area that Buzzell says will likely drive more customers to dealerships to purchase new cars.
As for the role of the dealer in all of these changes — including industry disruptors like ride sharing services, Buzzell said: “At the end of the day, let’s work together to find solutions so we don’t have to invite external players into our business. I think if we commit to working together with our dealer partners, we are going to find ways to meet the new customer needs.”
