Kelly Taylor

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The justification for the “wet signature” — where a seller witnesses a buyer’s signature firsthand — is seen as outdated, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winnipeg-based Rapid RTC — which manages live chat functions and sales lead management for 4,200 dealers and 27 automakers in North America and Europe — has been sold to U.K.-based software developer Keyloop.

Online vehicle launches build media buzz and create new marketing opportunities, but "there’s no better way than to see and touch the vehicle" than at a live event.

There isn’t a national auto strategy yet, like many in the industry want, but the federal Liberals have made some key deals that align with a mandate to advance technology.

The midsize crossover has been overshadowed recently by newer models such as the Aviator.

Canadian dealers are reporting shortages of anything from trucks to parts and are calling colleagues provinces away just to locate needed vehicles.

The Tucson has typically lagged Elantra sales in Canada. “We expect the new Tucson to surpass Elantra rather quickly," said a company spokesman.

Nissan’s bestseller offers better interior to compete with class leaders.

Ford is likely to remain the market leader among large pickups, "But I also think it has been alarmed at how good the Ram is," says one analyst.