Automotive News Canada Podcast
Automotive News Canada
Updated 1 day agoPodcast by Automotive News Canada
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Episodes (316)
Aug. 27, 2021 | Kingston, Dias, Williams: What auto wants from the next federal government
Brian Kingston of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Assocation, Unifor President Jerry Dias and Huw Williams of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association lay out what it is their members — from manufacturing to labour to retail — want from Canada’s next federal government.
Aug. 20, 2021 | How Project Arrow will spend $5 million of federal money
Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association President Flavio Volpe explains how his organization plans to spend $5 million in federal money on Project Arrow, whether the program remains on track and just how many suppliers want to be part of it.
Aug. 13, 2021 | Inventory shortage ‘driving up costs for consumers,’ J.D. Power says
J.D. Power’s Robert Karwel says every automaker is making sure they can continue to build expensive trims and high-end trucks and SUVs. “People are freely purchasing these,” Karwel says, and as a result, the industry is seeing sustained high prices despite low incentives.
Aug. 6, 2021 | Steele COO Kim Day on used EVs and expansion outside Atlantic Canada
Steele Auto Group COO Kim Day explains what made used-EV dealer All EV Canada such an attractive buy, discusses further expansion and reacts to U.S.-based Lithia Motors entering Canada.
July 30, 2021 | Part 2: Nissan Canada’s Steve Milette on marketing the Rogue and ending Titan’s run
Nissan Canada President Steve Milette discusses the new Rogue, the automaker’s best-selling vehicle in Canada, and the difficult decision to end sales of the full-size Titan pickup.
July 23, 2021 | Part 1: Nissan Canada’s Steve Milette on the automaker’s extensive lineup overhaul
Nissan Canada President Steve Milette discusses the automaker’s ambitious lineup overhaul and digital showrooms, and what they mean for dealers.
July 16, 2021 | Weis Group CEO Silvia Carfora on future dealership design and cost of construction
Silvia Carfora, CEO of the Weis Group, a Toronto-based architectural firm, talks about whether now is the right time for dealer upgrades, and explains how the pandemic and rising cost of construction are affecting such plans.
July 9, 2021 | CVMA’s Brian Kingston asks Ottawa: ‘Where’s the plan” for 2035 ZEV sales target?
On June 29th the federal government said it now aims to have all new-vehicle sales in Canada be of the zero-emissions variety by 2035. The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association CEO Brian Kingston calls the goal “ambitious.” But, he also asks: “Where’s the plan to get there?”
July 2, 2021 | Security expert Bob Maley on ransomware, ‘a no-win situation’
Cybersecurity firm Black Kite found 71 per cent of the automotive companies it surveyed have an "F" rating in the area of sending out and applying updates to software, leaving them vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Bob Maley, the company’s chief security officer, explains what it is thieves are looking for and says companies should practice good “cyber hygiene” to keep themselves safe.
June 25, 2021 | Flavio Volpe: ‘We can be the battery capital of North America’
It’s been a bumpy first year under the new USMCA trade pact, but Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association President Flavio Volpe says that deal and Canada’s natural resources gives Canada “a little bit more leverage” in the global auto market.
June 18, 2021 | HGreg’s John Hairabedian on U.S. expansion, digital marketing and used-cars
HGreg CEO John Hairabedian explains what makes the U.S. market so attractive to Canadian auto groups, talks about his company's digital presence, and compares the used market on both sides of the border.
June 11, 2021 | Kia's Elias El-Achhab on EVs, inventory and the ‘sexy’ Carnival
Kia Canada COO Elias El-Achhab explains how the brand weathered the pandemic and microchip shortage, talks about what makes the Kia Carnival sexy, and outlines what the automaker’s rebranding means for Canada’s dealers.
June 4, 2021 | Scotiabank’s Rebekah Young sticks with her 1.8-million-unit forecast for 2021
Rebekah Young, who watches the auto industry closely for Scotiabank Economics, says May sales were depressed, but that was expected. She has similar forecasts for June and July, but “ultimately we’re looking at a case of demand rolling out as the year advances.” She explains why she still expects Canadian dealers to sell 1.8 million new vehicles in 2021.
May 28, 2021 | Magna exec Kelly Harbridge details the company’s COVID-19 response
Kelly Harbridge, Magna International’s vice-president of people and general counsel, has been leading the supplier’s COVID-19 response. He details how the company went from lockdowns to running vaccination clinics in about 14 months.
May 21, 2021 | CAMM president on the border closure, women in auto and working in cannabis
Jeanine Lassaline-Berglund has quite the resume. She started her career in the skilled trades 30 years ago. She’s been a municipal economic development officer, and she helped get Canada’s cannabis sector off the ground. Now, she’s at the helm of both the Canadian Association of Moldmakers and Automate Canada.
May 14, 2021 | Why won’t more Canadians buy EVs?
The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association and the Global Automakers of Canada (GAC) commissioned an extensive survey to find out what’s keeping more Canadians from buying EVs. The answers produced a long list of concerns. GAC President David Adams explains what can be done about issues such as price and range anxiety. He also has some thoughts on the proposed federal luxury tax.
May 7, 2021 | GM Canada President Scott Bell on accelerated truck launch and inventory shortages
Scott Bell, president of General Motors Canada, explains why the company has advanced the launch of pickup production in Oshawa, Ont., talks about the hurdles the company had to overcome, and sings the praises of the Canadian workforce.
April 30, 2021 | When might the chip shortage end?
Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, says the auto industry has never faced a kink in the supply chain like one created by the microchip shortage. It’s creating unrecoverable production losses in Canada. And an end is a long way off while the solution to ensure it never happens again isn’t easy or cheap.
April 23, 2021 | Why Unifor's Jerry Dias says the 2021 federal budget has a ‘cherry on top’ for auto
After nearly two years, the federal government finally tabled a budget. But just because there isn’t a lot of money targeted directly at automotive, doesn’t mean there aren’t billions of dollars auto — along with other industries — could tap into, if they’re planning green projects. What is in the budget is good news for auto assembly and Canada’s EV battery potential, says Unifor President Jerry Dias.
April 16, 2021 | Why Magna International founder Frank Stronach is building a micro mobility company
Magna International founder Frank Stronach wants “to leave a legacy,” so he’s building a micro mobility EV company in Ontario. He believes small, personal transportation is the only way to end congestion and lower greenhouse gas emissions. At 88 years old, he’s also big into organic farming, and has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
April 9, 2021 | Should the next federal budget contain relief for Canada’s auto industry?
As head of the Global Automakers of Canada, David Adams lobbies governments in Canada on behalf of car companies based overseas. He has some ideas about what should be in the next federal budget, from EV incentives to a scrappage program. But how long should incentives last? He also talks about where sales might head in the remaining three quarters, after a fairly strong — but inventory-plagued — first three months of 2021.
April 2, 2021 | How COVID and a mild winter have affected service bays ‘big time’
Dealers Michael Carmichael in Ontario and Michael Wyant in Western Canada both say the pandemic and mild winter have affected the bottom line in the service bay. But, despite those hits and an inventory shortage, margins and profitability are up, in part because the pandemic forced them to find efficiencies and new ways to do business.
March 26, 2021 | Mold makers' association: End ‘draconian measures’ at the border
Jon Azzopardi, chair of the Canadian Association of Mold Makers, says ongoing pandemic-related border restrictions are causing his members to lose money and customers, some of which might never be recovered. He’s calling on the federal government to adopt border measures that would allow his members to cross more freely for the good of the auto industry.
March 19, 2021 | Canadian Fuels Association: EVs aren’t the only option
Bob Larocque, head of the Canadian Fuels Association, has a simple suggestion for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who aims to have all new-vehicle sales be of the zero-emissions variety by 2040: “Please consider every potential option that gets you to net zero that allows flexibility for consumers. It’s not just one option.”
March 12, 2021 | Susan Gubasta on how far women have come in auto and how much work remains
Susan Gubasta, a dealer principal, organizer of the WomenDriven event and first female head of Ontario’s Trillium Automobile Dealers Association, says that while women have come a long way in her nearly 30 years in the business, there’s still plenty more to do. She says all that talented, capable women really need is a chance.