Jeff Melnychuk

Without the supply side on its feet, automakers have little chance of meeting the new federal ZEV sales mandate.

For the first time in three years, on Feb. 16, top automotive executives will take to the stage with journalists from Automotive News Canada to address key industry issues.

The Automotive News Canada Congress returns live in 2023, we'll roll out our dealership salary survey results and add The social Automotive News Canada media awards.

The new programs for Ford dealers to sell EVs seem draconian, but they’re likely the only way to have standardized sales and service.

The electric-vehicle market has plenty of problems, from wiring up condos for charging stations to rapidly changing technology.

EVs require less service than internal-combustion-engine vehicles, but dealerships stand to service more of them than the aftermarket will.

If vehicle ordering is to be the norm after the supply-chain issues are solved, then the industry must slash waiting times for customers.

Over a century or more, buyers have been conditioned to care — and care passionately — about what’s under the hood. EVs might change that

It’s no exaggeration to say that when Windsor was approached by LG Energy early last year about establishing an EV battery plant, Invest WindsorEssex merely dropped a folder on desk and said, “Here you go.”

The pandemic has dealt emotional blows to every Canadian, and the mask is a symbol of that. Retailers need to be cautious of how they handle customers as mask mandates end.

The suppliers that carve out an electric future won’t be free and clear, though. They’ll still be subject to the pressures of rising prices, semiconductor shortages, trade conflicts, future pandemics and bridge blockades. They need some government support.

It’s entirely possible that the top automotive news story of 2022 has already happened: GM Canada hired 1,200 people to reboot the Oshawa Assembly Plant, and about half were women.

A combination of automakers focusing production on high-margin vehicles amid the global microchip shortage, consumers sitting on stacks of pandemic cash, and a looming federal levy on vehicle purchases of $100,000 or more is leading to a surge in luxury sales.

There are more women in influential positions, and there are more people of colour, on the latest list of Canadian to Watch.

The need for public education is no surprise, but it’s anyone’s guess just how wide that knowledge gap is. And that’s where the industry needs to focus.