The biggest challenge dealers face during the COVID-19 pandemic is connecting with customers who are fearful for their health.

The next-generation Edge was supposed to have been launched in June, 2023 on a new platform, said AutoForecast Solutions. But tepid retail sales as well as an increasingly crowded mid-size crossover segment contributed to Ford’s decision to cancel the new program, he said.

Ralph Gilles, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ global design chief, will lead a nine-member panel of judges who will select finalists in the design competition for Project Arrow.

Demand for equipment, such as masks and disinfectant, is  outstripping supply, prompting some automakers to buy in bulk to help dealers get supplies at cost.

Some dealers believe closing their stores is the right thing to do, whether ordered by the province or not.

Canada’s auto industry is calling on the federal government to implement a series of measures, including a scrappage program and an immediate three-month sales tax holiday for vehicle purchases, to help kick start sales, once the economy begins to reopen.

Mark Nantais has steered the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, which represents the Detroit Three car makers in Canada, since 1994.

While CADA economist Oumar Dicko applauded the government’s $82 billion package to help support individuals and businesses affected by the crisis, he said the government needs to act quickly to distribute the money so that it can have an immediate impact.

Dealers across Canada are retooling their operations, and in some cases, laying off staff amid a rapidly changing landscape marked by plunging sales and states of emergencies imposed by governments trying to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The call for action comes as Canadian auto dealers adjust to new realities in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, as some provinces force non-essential businesses to close and as consumers stay home.

How can the auto industry attract more women? By bringing them together under one roof and finding effective ways to spread the word about opportunities in a sector undergoing revolutionary change.

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) is officially kicking off the design competition for its Project Arrow concept car initiative. The contest is open to eligible students at colleges and universities across Canada, said APMA President Flavio Volpe.

Government rebates on zero-emission vehicles won’t help Ottawa meet its carbon reduction targets, says Larry Hutchinson, president of Toyota Canada. Automakers know how to best drive down costs and get competitive vehicles into the market, he says.

The goal of Project Arrow — the brainchild of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association — is to build the vehicle entirely of Canadian components and software. It’s also an antidote to a string of bad-news stories afflicting the industry. 

At the end of “Final Offer,” the groundbreaking documentary on the acrimonious 1984 contract talks between GM and the Canadian wing of the United Auto Workers, the narrator poses a question that haunts us still: Will Canadian autoworkers now have to compete directly with their American brothers for jobs?