Ford Canada has once more prolonged the deadline for sellers to enrol in its EV packages as an attempt to resolve the considerations some retailers have about spending as much as $1.3 million to promote and repair the automaker’s EVs starting in 2024. Ford’s 440 sellers have till Feb. 17 to enrol within the Model e Certified or the Model e Certified Elite packages, the automaker told Automotive News Canada. Ford has not disclosed what number of sellers have signed up up to now. It had initially set a deadline of Dec. 16 however prolonged that to Dec. 30. “The dealer consultation proces ..read more

New-vehicle gross sales in 2022 fell 8.8 per cent in contrast with 2021, and the market for 2023 will be impacted by record-high transaction costs, stock woes and a looming recession. “The massive query that lies forward would be the stability between improved automobile stock, pent-up demand and deteriorating financial circumstances,” stated Andrew King, managing accomplice at DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. “It may nicely be that automobile gross sales in Canada climb even because the nation enters a recession.” Gross sales of 1.50 million light-duty autos in 2022 have been reported by ..read more

The first all-electric Mercedes-Benz trucks bound for Australia and New Zealand have rolled off the production line.  Four eActros and one eEconic electric trucks will operate with a wide range of fleets in Australia, while one eActros will operate in New Zealand. Both Mercedes-Benz electric trucks have received full approval to operate on Australian roads as both have been designed to fit within our region’s width restrictions. As a result, there are no operation restrictions and customers do not require any specific permits regarding Australian Design Rule exemptions for the Mercedes ..read more

 J.D. Power has announced the introduction of the J.D. Power EV IndexSM, an analytics tool to track the growing EV market in the United States. Each month, the index will arrive at one number (on a 100-point scale) to make it easy to understand the progress to parity of EVs with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The sub-category numbers will represent all the roadblocks to parity. Today, the EV Index score is 47 (based on the most recent available data from November 2022), with some categories improving and others declining during the 12-month pilot period. The EV I ..read more

Audi plans to convert its entire network of global production factories to manufacture electric vehicles.  Audi’s first purely battery-electric vehicle to go into production, the e-tron began deliveries in 2019. After getting off to a slow start, a significant update in 2021 that included an extended range and a lower price point, the e-tron gained its footing. Since then, Audi has expanded its EV lineup to include an e-tron S, e-tron GT, e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, and Q8 e-tron. Through the first nine months of 2022, Audi increased fully electric vehicle sales by 53.8% on strong ..read more

As part of his keynote address at the  2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares announced the establishment of Mobilisights. According to Tavares, Mobiliisights will be an independent business unit that is “dedicated to growing Stellantis’ Data as a Service (Daas) business and to developing and licensing innovative B2B products applications and services. Mobilisights products will become available to a “diverse set of entities, including private enterprises, public utilities, education and research institutions.” The company plans to use the data gathered from ..read more

Consultancy firm Deloitte’s 2023 Global Automotive Consumer Study indicates that as interest in EVs is growing among consumers, significant barriers remain on the road to fuller adoption. The study surveyed more than 26,000 people globally between September and October 2022. According to the study the global shift to electrified vehicles is happening, but at very different speeds depending on the market. Interest in hybrid battery technology outstrips the interest in full BEVs in most countries. In the U.S, survey respondents showed their increasing preference for an alternative fuel powered ..read more

Mercedes-Benz announced the rollout of its Level 3 Autonomous Driving system, Drive Pilot at the 2023 CES. It will be the first OEM to introduce Level 3 autonomy in California in 2023. The Drive Pilot system will allow motorists not only to go hands-free but to turn their attention to texting, making phone call and even watching videos. The Drive Pilot system was introduced in Germany in 2022. The precise time of the U.S. Drive Pilot launch has yet to be confirmed pending approval of the technology by authorities in Nevada and California.   For More: https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/202 ..read more

Ford Motor Company reported a U.S. sales loss last year of 2.2%, noting increased sales of its F-Series pickups to end 2022 with a slight increase in December. The automaker on Thursday reported sales of more than 1.9 million vehicles in 2022, including an increase of 3.2% during the final month of the year. Ford’s sales were off 2.7% through November, before the December boost. Ford said it sold more than 75,000 F-Series pickups in December, a 20.1% increase compared with a year earlier and the best month of the year as parts and supply chain problems disrupted production. Sa ..read more

Holman, a global automotive services organization, is deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Geoff Seely on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. For five years, Seely led Holman’s Canadian business as Vice President & General Manager, providing exceptional leadership and support across the entire organization. “Whether you were fortunate to know Geoff as a friend, colleague, business partner, or industry peer, you know he was a good man, a great friend, a trusted leader, and a genuinely kind individual who will be incredibly missed by many,” said Bob White, President, Fleet & ..read more