Posts by Canadian Auto Dealer

The conversations on the trade show floor at the 2026 Automotive Conference & Expo (ACE) offered a revealing snapshot of the issues facing Canada’s auto dealers. Artificial intelligence was everywhere, but so were concerns about affordability, trade uncertainty, regulatory pressures and the challenge of retaining customers in an increasingly competitive market. Exhibitors at Fallsview Casino…

Trade uncertainty, vehicle affordability, artificial intelligence and the arrival of more Chinese automotive brands dominated conversations at the 2026 Automotive Conference & Expo (ACE) in Niagara Falls. But for all the challenges facing Canadian dealers, the mood was far from defeatist. The two-day gathering combined global perspectives from former Ontario premier Bob Rae and China-based…

Canada’s public EV fast-charging network is seeing more activity, but the pace of expansion is slowing. According to Paren’s third-quarter 2026 State of the EV Charging Industry report, the country recorded 3.84 million public fast-charging sessions, up 37 per cent from 2.8 million a year earlier. However, the number of ports tracked during the quarter…

Dealerships are embracing artificial intelligence, but few have formal policies in place to oversee its use. CDK’s State of Dealership Cybersecurity 2026 report found that while 87 per cent of surveyed dealership leaders reported using AI in some capacity, only six per cent said they had a fully defined AI governance framework. The findings highlight…

Image credit: Cox Automotive. Vehicle affordability is reshaping the U.S. automotive market, with consumers increasingly adjusting what they buy, or delaying purchases altogether. In an Oct. 12 analysis, Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb said demand has not disappeared, but rising household expenses are changing where it is concentrated. Since the pandemic, personal incomes have…

The Canadian used vehicle market is losing value at an accelerating pace, with wholesale prices falling nearly three times faster than the previous week. According to Canadian Black Book’s (CBB) latest Market Insights report, wholesale values declined 0.35 per cent during the week ending Oct. 10, compared with a 0.12 per cent drop a week…

Canada’s automotive manufacturing sector is struggling to regain momentum, with motor vehicle assembly shipments continuing to decline amid trade tensions and production uncertainty. According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), the recovery that began following pandemic-era supply chain disruptions has stalled, reversing earlier gains and leaving the assembly industry on a renewed downward trajectory. The latest…

In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL 9000 wasn’t dangerous because it was unintelligent. HAL became dangerous because it had enormous capability, unclear instructions and far too much authority. A Canadian dealership recently experienced its own, considerably less dramatic, HAL moment. A customer contacted a Toronto-based retailer about selling their 2021 BMW X3. During the conversation, an AI…

We have been posting on social media for years about the likely arrival of Chinese vehicles in Canada. We have also argued that, to sell vehicles here, Chinese automakers should be required to build some of them here. Canada’s automotive manufacturing and supply chain are especially vulnerable, and a strong employment base is clearly good…

I have written about leadership before, but I find it a worthwhile subject to bring up again. I find that many great service or parts advisors get promoted and suddenly become the “manager.” What exactly does that mean? I get a nice office, a new title, a fancy business card, maybe a cell phone plan…

There is no question that affordability has become a major defining issue facing British Columbians and Canadians. Whether it’s housing, groceries, fuel or transportation, families are feeling the cumulative impact of rising costs. But while consumers continue to face mounting financial pressures, government policy too often adds to those costs rather than helping reduce them.…

There is a number familiar to aerospace engineers: 11.2 kilometres per second. That is Earth’s escape velocity — the speed needed to break free of its gravitational pull without further propulsion. Fall short and physics wins. The rocket comes back down. You don’t get partial credit for almost making it. AI transformation in automotive retail can work…

In a recent digital marketing lecture at Georgian College, ChatGPT recommended that I wait for a car that didn’t exist instead of buying one 15 minutes away. The class and I had decided to shop for a used BMW 230i, harnessing the power of AI to find one in my area. What followed was eye-opening. I want…

According to Clarify’s new Canadian Vehicle Buyer Opinion Study (VBOS), nearly two in five Canadian new-vehicle owners (39 per cent) say they would be likely to consider a new vehicle from a Chinese manufacturer if their current dealer started selling one. That figure combines somewhat and very likely responses, and comes before Chinese brands have…

Many dealers know exactly what they spent on their last digital ad campaign, and almost to the dollar what it cost to acquire a lead. But many of those dealers have much less clarity about what their store and their team is known for in the community. That gap can be a problem. Long before…

One of my earliest childhood memories is walking through Nuremberg with my parents and my father challenging me to name the marque of every passing car on the busy streets. Our family had recently escaped communist Poland, where the drab selection of Soviet-approved personal transportation didn’t quite spark the imagination of this fledgling car enthusiast…

Another Chinese automaker is preparing to enter Canada. Chinese automaker Geely Auto has officially confirmed plans to enter the Canadian market in 2027, bringing its global automotive portfolio to a country where it is already laying the groundwork for a retail and service network. “Canada represents an important next step in Geely Auto’s international growth,”…

Photo provided of David McQuilkin After more than 35 years in the Ford and Lincoln business, David McQuilkin is preparing to learn a new way of doing things. McQuilkin, Dealer Principal and President of Milton Ford Lincoln, has acquired nearby Milton Nissan, adding a second franchise as he looks to expand his business in the…

Women working in U.S. dealerships are finding reasons to feel optimistic about their careers, even as differences in compensation and advancement opportunities suggest there is still room for improvement. New research from CDK Global shows that 90 per cent of women working in automotive retail feel motivated in their jobs, compared with 91 per cent…

Canada’s best-selling vehicle segments are proving remarkably resilient in a year marked by economic uncertainty, with sales remaining relatively stable despite some notable shifts in consumer demand. According to new data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), the country’s six largest vehicle segments recorded relatively modest changes through the first nine months of 2026, reflecting a…

The next five years could reshape Canada’s automotive industry for decades to come, and that is the conversation organizers hope to spark at TalkAuto 2026. With registration closing Oct. 26, Canadian Black Book is preparing to bring together automotive executives, dealers and industry professionals on Nov. 5 at Universal EventSpace in Vaughan, Ont. This year’s…

One of the most challenging parts of closing a sale is justifying the trade-in value to a customer. Sales managers and consultants have several tools available to help establish value, including Canadian Black Book, online auction reports, VMRCanada.com, AutoTrader Instant Cash Offer, vAuto and CARFAX Vehicle Valuation Reports. But the tool itself is only part…

Ever think about starting your own dealership? Like many professionals in this industry, building your own group, representing your preferred brands and making your mark in the automotive ecosystem can be the ultimate goal. Now might be the right time to embark on that journey. Canada’s automotive retail industry is undergoing a period of transformation,…

I don’t know whether it is because I am 72 or simply because of circumstance, but recently a number of friends and colleagues have passed away unexpectedly. I have seen firsthand how sudden, dramatic change can send families into a tailspin that lasts for decades. Over the years, I have written about the importance of planning…

Tariffs have once again found their way to the centre of the political conversation in Canada. How surprising! This latest resurgence of interest in the trade situation began when President Donald Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose additional tariffs on a wide range of Canadian products, in response to what his…

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s agreement to allow a limited number of Chinese-made electric vehicles into Canada at a reduced tariff has triggered a growing debate about what their arrival could mean for manufacturers, dealers and consumers. The arrangement established a first-year import quota of 49,000 Chinese-made EVs at Canada’s 6.1 per cent most-favoured-nation tariff rate, replacing the 100 per cent…

Volkswagen Tiguan Canada’s automotive industry met the challenges of 2025 head-on, appearing to recognize that many of the difficulties it faced were not self-made but driven by factors well beyond the control of individual dealers. The year ended with the highest Canadian auto sales volume since 2019 and ranked among the strongest years on record. The first…

Reynolds and Reynolds is expanding its Canadian team while taking a measured approach to AI, automation and dealership innovation Keith Legg Automotive retail technology is evolving quickly, but Keith Legg is wary of anyone who claims to know exactly where it is heading. “If you interview anybody and they tell you they’ve got it all…

James Ricci, CEO of Foss Group of Companies What began as a single General Motors dealership in Toronto more than six decades ago has evolved into a diversified automotive business. Now, the company is bringing its four divisions together under a new corporate identity. The former Foss Automotive Group has announced the launch of Foss…

The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) is investing $750,000 over three years to expand mental health support for wildfire-affected communities through a new partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in B.C., according to an Oct. 6 announcement. The initiative, called BCAA & CMHA BC Beyond Wildfires, marks the first time BCAA is extending…

For months, organizers of the CADA Summit 2024 were urging dealers to register for the event before it sold out. True to form, the jam-packed conference opened this morning at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Ontario as one of the first events to kick off a full week of events connected to the Canadian…

Safe-Guard Canada, a provider of protection products for the automotive, RV, powersports and marine sectors, has launched a redesigned website that speaks not only to the company’s shift towards digital transformation — but also the broader shift occurring in the automotive sector.  The company’s digital transformation mirrors the changes taking place across the automotive industry.…

Vehicles may be equipped with advanced sensor technology and machine learning algorithms that can predict weather disasters in real-time by the time 2030 rolls around.  That is according to the International Drivers Association, which said in a news release that new vehicles are expected to be equipped with this technology within the next six years,…

Three auto enthusiasts are marketing the first-ever Toronto industrial car condominium to store high-end exotic and vintage automobiles. Ming Zee, Christopher Grant, and Todd Yule have retrofitted a former Gilbey’s distillery building in Etobicoke, Ont., into a 183,000 square-foot storage warehouse in Etobicoke. They bought the building, which is zoned in an industrial area, in…

A new survey report from global cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kaspersky reveals that 72 per cent of drivers in the United States are uncomfortable with automotive manufacturers sharing their data with third parties — an issue that auto retailers may find is on the mind of more than some of their potential customers, as…

A virtual cockpit platform described as the first-of-its-kind by BlackBerry Limited was recently introduced as part of the Stellantis Virtual Engineering Workbench (VEW) by the OEM. It is of interest because the new platform allows for the delivery of infotainment tech to customers 100 times faster than previous processes. How BlackBerry is involved is also…

Hyundai received the highest ranking among mass market manufacturer websites from J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study thanks in part to its intuitive experience. The study measures customer satisfaction of OEM websites during the new-vehicle shopping process by reviewing four key measures: information/content, visual appeal, navigation, and speed. In its news release, Hyundai…