The wheels of life
David Adams reflects on a career shaped by the auto industry When I was in high school, Gino Vannelli had a hit with a song called “The Wheels of Life.” I still like the song. The first two lines go …
Author: David Adams
Why this, why now?
A fourth voice for Canada’s auto sector—needed, but not without risk On April 15, a new Canadian automotive trade association was announced: the Pacific Manufacturing Association of Canada (PMAC). The two principal members are Honda and Toyota, and the new …
The Strait of what?
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is exposing how vulnerable fuel prices and global supply chains remain to geopolitical conflict People could be forgiven for not being familiar with the Strait of Hormuz until the beginning of March. For decades, the Strait …
A pivotal couple of weeks
Prime Minister Carney’s auto strategy announcements offered some clarity but left plenty of uncertainty The future of Canada’s automotive industry could well be wrapped up in two announcements made by the Prime Minister a little more than two weeks apart. …
A New World Order
Our columnist David Adams is retiring and reflects on a 40-year career in automotive, sharing key lessons learned along the way Anew world order. That was a statement made by Prime Minister Mark Carney during his mid-January visit to China, …
Nothing is certain but uncertainty
The automotive industry has always evolved — but the pace, scope, and unpredictability have never been greater. Over the past 20 years that Canadian auto dealer has been publishing, the automotive industry, both in Canada and globally, has undergone tremendous …
Industry awaits clarity on ZEV mandates
What will the fate be for the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard? On September 5, the Prime Minister announced Canada would pause the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard (EVAS), also known as the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, for the 2026 model year. …
A pivotal point in time
Chaos reigns supreme as OEMs try to make sense of the new world order With so much visibility these days on trade and tariffs with respect to the activity of the U.S. President, what has flown somewhat under the radar …
How high is up?
On and off again tariffs and trade wars creating uncertainty and business anxiety How high is up? That was a trick question that my Dad used to ask me when I was a kid. Of course, the question …
When will it all end?
For the world, but especially for Mexico and Canada — respectively the United States’ largest and second largest trading partners — it has been a very long first quarter of 2025. There is seemingly no rhyme nor reason to the tariffs …
Karma Carmeleon
The fate of Tesla could impact the playing field for other electric vehicle makers With a nod to the Culture Club hit of the 1980s the modified title of the song and the title of this piece relates to the …
Living with uncertainty
It’s Tuesday: it must be steel and aluminum tariffs. What will tomorrow bring? It is halfway through the second month of the year and already it feels like early December… It’s been one hell of a year! No doubt there …
