Doug Firby Calgary Correspondent for Automotive News Canada [email protected] See All Staff Page Recent Stories Keys to retail resurgence are better tools, TLC, says Ford dealership Carle Ford in Gatineau, Que., store became a CADA Laureate by responding to changing consumer habits. How COVID changed dealership group AutoIQ — for the better The tactics employed by AutoIQ dealership group during the COVID-19 pandemic were sometimes risky, but the innovations proved revelatory. Focus on diversity, equity, inclusion 'makes good business sense,' panel says Creating inclusive workspaces in the automotive manufacturing, distribution and retail sectors is not just a feel-good undertaking, it’s an essential part of doing business, according to panelists at an Automotive News Canada online forum said. What’s ‘beyond’ for Mercedes-Benz when it comes to EVs and ICE vehicles? Dealers recently got a look at a mix of eight electric and internal-combustion vehicles in the product pipeline, and a sense from the company that it will slow its EV pace and introduce hybrids as part of the electrification transformation How Steele Auto Group turned social media into sales, at a reasonable cost A Steele Auto Group dealership in Nova Scotia joined with a marketing firm to produce online content for high conversion rates at a low cost. Why going green never goes out of season at an award-winning Quebec dealership A sustainability success story has landed BMW Laval national recognition from the automaker. How persistence during the pandemic paid off for one dealer A family-owned Quebec store navigated COVID-19 in a manner that sustained sales, which created an inventory windfall. EV tech training program at Alberta college gets $850,000 boost from RBC The EV technician training program at southern Alberta’s largest technical institute has received a $850,000 donation from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to help ease the critical shortage of EV service technicians across the country. Canadian Acura VP of U.S. sales is sold on California, but his soul is still Canadian The road trip Acura executive Emile Korkor followed took him from Toronto to the United States to run sales. CADA’s top dealership thrives on family values TLC for everyone is a guiding principle for customer service at Otto’s Subaru in Ottawa. How an Ontario dealership group wins big by thinking small In the buy-sell world, size and scale is the name of the game, but smaller stores have many tricks up their sleeves. Audi designer works in Germany but draws strength from Canada After completing design school in Sweden, the Toronto native felt confident. But then his education was just getting rolling. Suzuki taps two-speed transmission by Canada's Inmotive to power EVs Inmotive, which unveiled its Ingear transmission design more than two years ago, announced Jan. 10 that it has signed a joint development agreement with Suzuki to develop its Ingear two-speed EV transmission for a future Suzuki electric vehicle. Ford Canada extends deadline for dealers to enrol in its EV programs Ford Canada has again extended the deadline for dealers to enrol in its electric vehicle programs as the two sides try to resolve the concerns some retailers have spending up to $1.3 million to sell and service the automaker’s EVs beginning in 2024. Honda rubs dealers the right way with its EV approach Honda retailers appear to be quietly on board with an EV infrastructure program — estimated at $300,000 to $400,000 — which is less costly than Ford’s, and a lot less contentious Load More