Canadian dealers are preparing for a flurry of changes in their service departments as customers embrace electric vehicles and automakers require new spending to lay the groundwork for the EV era.

Automobile dealers need to get better at aligning the online and in-person purchasing experiences for customers as digital retailing rapidly gains traction in Canada, industry experts said during an Automotive News Canada Congress online panel discussion.

Growth in manufacturing to support domestic electric vehicle production in Ontario could trigger a re-expansion of Canada’s middle class after decades of decline due to migration of manufacturing to lower-wage countries, says one prominent economist.

Companies that commit to change are bound to have success, particularly among younger consumers who are demanding more from businesses today, the CNN commentator Van Jones said during the June 10 edition of Automotive News Canada Congress Conversations.