How can dealers manage the new subscription-based upgrade model without alienating consumers? Herbert Diess, former CEO of The Volkswagen Group, commented at the end of June that global revenues for the automotive industry are forecast to reach circa CAD $6.5 …
We are old enough to remember when economists, sociologists, and futurologists alike, predicted the end of the long hours culture in favour of a new utopia called the “leisure society.” The argument ran in the 1960s and 1970s that technology …
What can Canadians learn from the European experience with selling electric vehicles? The Canadian auto dealer team asked me to reflect on lessons learned from the growth of electric vehicles (EVs)—battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)—over recent years …
Few Canadian provinces are investing in consumer incentives for EVs. It’s time to change that. The good news: The number of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) in Canadian driveways grew by 58 per cent in 2021 according to a recent Automotive Insights report …
A powerful new tool, State of Charge Canadian EV Monitor, launches to measure EV consumer behaviour The pace of automotive innovation continues to accelerate. Almost every OEM has made a company-changing announcement regarding their transition to electrification and the multiple …
The wave of electrified vehicles is pending, but it is coming. Dealers need to be ready to meet consumer demands for more information and education—directly in the showroom. With Canadian new vehicle transaction prices reaching all-time highs this year—exceeding $42,000, …
Access to unprompted, authentic engagement from consumers can help decision-makers across the industry better understand demand dynamics. As we contemplate the transition from combustion to electrification, not a day goes by that we don’t read something new regarding what OEMs, …
In a rapidly changing industry, with technology driving the product transformation from combustion to eMobility, what does the future hold for automotive retail and for Canadian dealers in particular? Mark Twain allegedly remarked to a reporter in 1897: “The reports …
A May 2021 study from Leger reveals that for many Canadians working from home, the experience has been positive, and many are eyeing a hybrid mix of working from home and the office post-pandemic. As many Canadians eagerly await their …
Artificial intelligence tools are not just for autonomous driving. Dealerships can use this tech to grow and maximize their fixed ops department and revenue. Dealerships have adapted remarkably well through the pandemic, including managing the impact of supply shocks that …
The relationship between dealer and buyer is less about selling and closing, and more about facilitating the customer’s acquisition of a new vehicle. We can’t open a newspaper (correction, open our mobile news feed) these days, let alone the pages …
Bringing a global perspective to Canada’s changing automotive landscape. Despite the long cold winter and a harsh second wave of the pandemic, I am joyful to be home in Canada again. This is not to say I didn’t enjoy my …
