Automotive News Canada - July 2019 - 1

TORONTO RAPTORS SUPERFAN NAV BHATIA/P4

JULY 2019 | VOL. 4, NO.7 | AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA FOR BREAKING NEWS AND DIGITAL EDITION

The recommendation for Toronto 'smart city': Less car ownership
By JOHN IRWIN
TORONTO BUREAU

CAR DEALERS FACE AN
existential threat in a future
driven by autonomous vehicles
and growing calls for reducing
vehicle ownership as a way to
combat urban congestion.
"The discussions we've

Sidewalk Labs' goal is to cut congestion,
but where does that leave auto retail?

had with our dealers is to say:
'Prepare yourself. Prepare
to be part of the solution.'
Dealerships need to be connected," said John White, CEO
of the Canadian Automobile

Dealers Association.
The latest call to discourage
vehicle ownership comes from
Google affiliate Sidewalk Labs,
which wants to build a "city
within a city" in Toronto, pow-

John White:
Urging dealers
to be "part of
the solution"
to mobility
FILE PHOTO

ered by fleets of autonomous
vehicles.
Sidewalk says, however,
that self-driving vehicles could

The
new

Gladiator
JIM MORRISON
New Canadian Jeep
boss looks to build on
passion for the brand
By DOUG FIRBY

CALGARY CORRESPONDENT

AFTER BACKSLIDING FROM ITS CANADIAN
sales peak, Jeep has its first pickup and a new
Canadian boss intent on rebuilding the brand in
his home country.
The new Jeep Gladiator midsize pickup will
help lead a rebound for the brand in Canada, said
Jim Morrison, the newly minted head of Jeep
North America.
"It's a purpose-built, very capable truck," he
said in an exclusive interview with Automotive
News Canada. "I was involved with the project
when I was previously with Jeep. There's one in
my parking spot now."
The native of
Fredericton, N.B., who
led Fiat Chrysler's Ram
brand in North America
for three years, said he
is focused on rebuilding Jeep volume. It's a
recovery that would go a
long way toward lifting
FCA Canada Inc. from
its own sales trough.
The Gladiator midsize
The automaker was
pickup will lead a
alone among its big
revival of Jeep sales,
said Jim Morrison, and rivals in recording a
double-digit (16 per cent)
added that "the sky's
the limit" for the brand. sales decline last year,
and this year's volume
PHOTO: FCA
is off another 16 per
cent through June as the industry skids through a
16-month losing streak.
Jeep, meanwhile, has fallen from its Canadian

SEE DEALER PAGE 22

worsen urban congestion without a concerted effort to discourage private vehicle ownership. That raises long-term
questions for dealers as autonomous technology develops
and as cities worldwide try
to address crippling traffic in

SEE HOW MUCH LESS PAGE 23

Iacocca's
Canadian
connection

P16

Auto sector fears
blowback over
Canada's tough
emissions stance
Siding with California makes
environmental sense, but
industry officials say it could
jeopardize trade and make the
country an outcast with the U.S.
By ROBERT BOSTELAAR
O T TAWA C O R R E S P O N D E N T

OTTAWA -
The agreement
Canada's alliance
contains no comwith California in a
mitments beyond a
battle over greenpledge to work togethhouse-gas emissions
er on regulations to
could erase hard-won
cut greenhouse-gas
trade protecproduction
tions, deter
and promote
investment
clean vehicles.
and drive up
"In our
prices for car
view it's prebuyers, auto
mature to be
industry offisaying this is
cials warn.
the road we're
David
Federal
going to go
Adams:
Environment
down without
Federal
Minister
government understanding
Catherine
all the consehasn't
McKenna
quences and
thoroughly
signed a mem- considered
costs of going
orandum of
down that
the impact
understanding of an
road," said
(MOU) in June alliance with David Adams,
that Canada
president of
California.
will line up
the Global
FILE PHOTO
with California
Automakers of
in a plan to maintain
Canada.
stringent fuel-econ"It would have
omy standards even
been our preference
if U.S. federal regulathat Canada work
tors dial back the limwith the U.S. and
its scheduled for mod- California to come up
el-year 2021-2025 vehicles.
SEE CANADA PAGE 22

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Automotive News Canada - July 2019

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