Kelly Taylor

Recovery from a semiconductor shortage that’s hammering new-vehicle inventory, is just one issue at hand. Electric vehicles are also expected to propel the agenda this year as the industry lobbies the federal government to lay out a clear road map to its target of 100-per-cent EV sales in Canada by 2035.

Vaughn Wyant and Ralph Chiodo were among the 135 appointments announced Dec. 29 by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.

The year began and ended with the Canadian auto industry still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. From plant shutdowns and microchip shortages, to soaring used-car prices and consumers hoarding cash, the virus continued to dominate headlines. As the year went on, however, slivers of optimism began to poke out from under the doom and gloom.

Automotive manufacturers are doing a better job of providing a work-life balance to attract younger women — the so-called millennials — but have to continue marketing themselves as workplace destinations to address the gender imbalance on the factory floor, according to four women executives in the industry.

A study that showed progress in advancing female representation in Canada’s automotive retail workforce slowed dramatically in 2020 is the result of the pandemic and not necessarily indicative of where the sector is headed, according to the study’s lead author and industry representatives.

The $2.6-billion hit to the automotive service industry — and an apparent shift toward aftermarket repair shops from dealerships — appears to be a one-time event caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, industry executives say.

Online sales create a new revenue stream that also offsets fewer service visits from customers.

The Canadian luxury group eyes new dealership acquisitions and the adoption of omnichannel tools now that it's been bought by U.S.-based Lithia Motors.

From honeybee apiaries on roofs to high levels of insulation and walls that are nearly 60 cm thick, benefits of going green go far beyond the projected savings in heating costs.

A key gap in the online car-shopping shopping process — digital credit applications and approvals — appears to be closing, answering the demands of Canadian dealers seeking to satisfy what they see as a growing appetite for completely virtual transactions.

The auto industry is awaiting a roadmap from the federal Liberals outlining how it will assist to overcome the many obstacles standing in the way of ZEV adoption.

A holistic approach has not only built Sherwood Park Toyota into one of Canada’s leading Toyota dealerships, it also helped Art Angielski and his staff ride out the pandemic.

For the Canadian market, Honda’s global transition to producing only zero-emissions vehicles by 2040 begins with a step backward before taking two leaps forward with the 2023 CR-V Hybrid and the 2024 Prologue, a full-electric crossover.

Whether forced to move to appointment-only selling or touchless drop-offs for vehicle service — which has depended on the level of retail restrictions at any given time — dealers interviewed by Automotive News Canada said they aren’t looking back.

The justification for the “wet signature” — where a seller witnesses a buyer’s signature firsthand — is seen as outdated, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.