Kelly Taylor

Global automaker Stellantis is pouring billions of dollars — a commitment of $8.6 billion so far — into Canada’s nascent electric-vehicle industry and is halfway to its goal of hiring 650 research engineers, said David Buckingham, CEO of FCA Canada.

June, celebrated around the world as Pride Month, isn’t the only time to be focusing on creating inclusive workplaces, according to auto industry executives at an Embracing Diversity panel discussion.

The combination of plummeting sales and rising interest rates is squeezing financial institutions, said Patrick Roosenberg, director of automotive finance at J.D. Power Canada,

Market disruptors Clutch and Canada Drives, already established in several provinces, intend to become national players.

Canadian dealers grappling with used-vehicle shortages and premium wholesale and trade-in prices shouldn’t expect relief until 2026, according to Canadian Black Book (CBB).

Adding high-speed chargers is a top priority, as is staff training, to cope with change that’s already taking place in the market

The prices of some used vehicles are expected to remain high until 2026 as supply and demand will continue to be rocked by shortages of new-vehicle inventory, said James Hancock, director of OEM strategy and analytics at Canadian Black Book.

The pandemic-related push to online car shopping is turning customer data into one of the industry’s hottest commodities and forcing dealers and automakers to reexamine their data-sharing agreements, industry experts say.

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.