Category: The Road Ahead

Buyers need more affordable options

November 17, 2025

Our analysis shows entry level vehicle prices keep rising More than a few of you very astute readers have noticed that there have been a lot fewer inexpensive entry level new vehicles in OEMs’ lineups these days.   It is …

Bridging the EV intention gap

October 10, 2025

Auto shows play an integral role in EV awareness and education The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by Canadian consumers has not exactly gone as planned.  While EVs remain a central focus for the federal and (some) provincial governments, as …

Do auto shows still matter?

August 20, 2025

OEMs might have different priorities, but research shows consumers remain keen on attending Samuel Clemens, more commonly known by his pen name, Mark Twain, has many famous quotes attributed to him — some real, some fabricated.  One of his many …

Are we facing car-flation?

June 15, 2025

Vehicle prices have risen more than many consumer goods, but the margin isn’t as wide as you might expect While walking through the Canadian International AutoShow something stood out to me: the prices of the vehicles on display.  There has …

What does the future hold for automotive retail? Part 1

April 9, 2025

Canadian dealership leaders forecast the most significant challenges ahead There is one constant in the automotive industry: change. Current geopolitical challenges and mandates aside, automotive retail is constantly evolving, and is impacted by many factors.  Real estate, technology, changing demographics …

EV lessons learned

November 4, 2024

To boost EV adoption, dealership teams need to own and operate them too In October 2022, I shared my initial impressions of the transition to owning a battery electric vehicle. With 24 months of ownership and over 42,000 kms travelled, …

The electric circus

June 3, 2024

Will there be electric tears shed in our ZEV showrooms? Yes, we are moving to a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) future, which is clearly the right thing to do for the planet.  But what is the average consumer likely to see …

The eruption of EV disruption

March 30, 2024

With more shoppers tire kicking EVs, the industry has to be ready to provide accurate and useful answers Disruption is feeling like a highly overused word of late. The business media, as well as more than a few LinkedIn members, …

The Chinese are coming

March 1, 2024

Observations on the global changes that will impact Canada: Part 2 of 2 In Part 1 of our special report on the Global IAA Mobility conference held in Germany, we took a look at the major players and their ambitious global growth …