Automotive News Canada Podcast

VinFast Chairwoman Madame Thuy talks about the VF3, Wild concept pickup, North America’s appetite for electric vehicles and the process of building out a dealership network in Canada and the United States.

BlackBerry QNX Vice-President of Products and Strategy Grant Courville tells us why he believes “the time has come for the software-defined vehicle.” He also explains BlackBerry’s role in automotive, talks about the tech giant’s latest partnership with Stellantis and Amazon, and identifies one challenge the company — and Canada as a whole — faces.

Canadian Automobile Dealers Association CEO Tim Reuss talks about 2023 as the start of a return to normal sales. He also discusses what lies ahead for dealers in 2024, talks ZEV sales mandates and clarifies what right to repair means in Canada.

In this replay of the Nov. 24, 2023, Automotive News Canada Podcast, Lana Payne, president of Unifor, takes us inside the contract talks with the Detroit Three automakers, how the deals affect the industry — from wages to the competition to pricing — and where the union goes from here.

David Adams, head of the Global Automakers of Canada, and Brian Kingston, who leads the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, discuss all the issues their members have with the new federal Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, which forces automakers to sell a defined percentage of zero-emissions vehicles each year. They talk about incentives, infrastructure, and how achievable the goal of 100 percent ZEV sales by 2035 is.

Ralph Gilles, chief designer at Stellantis, looks back on the Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Charger as the trio of cars, built in Brampton, Ont., come to an end. He also talks a bit about what replaces them and what’s next for Brampton.

Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli says auto investment in the province might have exceeded expectations in 2023 and says more is still to come.

Toyota Canada Inc. Vice-president Stephen Beatty talks about the automaker’s electrification strategy and why it’s so focused on hybrids. He discusses the Crown Insignia and explains why the Camry is available only in a hybrid in Canada.

Lana Payne, president of Unifor, takes us inside the contract talks with the Detroit Three automakers, how the deals affect the industry — from wages to the competition to pricing — and where the union goes from here.

Erin Kerrigan, founder and CEO of Kerrigan Advisors, talks about which automakers dealers trust the most — and least. She also says it’s still “raining Canadians” in southern U.S. states where Canadian dealers are buying stores. And, she explains how electric vehicles are affecting dealership valuations.