Automotive News Canada - May 2022 - 6

6
* MAY 2022
A wrenching decision:
Fix 'right to repair'?
Member of Parliament
floats a federal bill
to give independent
shops access to
vehicle info; the
industry says the
voluntary system isn't
broken, so don't fix it
By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
CANADA'S AUTOMAKERS AND
the national dealers association
oppose a push to enshrine into law
the right of independent repair
shops to access vehicle data, known
as right to repair.
They say the current voluntary
arrangement to share the proprietary
data needed to diagnose and
fix vehicles is working well, giving
consumers the choice of going to a
dealership or independent shop for
service.
A private member's bill introduced
in February by Brian Masse,
New Democrat Party MP for
Windsor West in Ontario, would
replace the current system with federal
legislation designed to ensure
compliance.
The Canadian Automotive
Service Information Standard
(CASIS), enacted in 2010, gives independent
repair shops access via
paid internet subscription to automakers'
proprietary
diagnostic
codes, software
and repair
tools through
brand-specific
portals.
Stakeholders
negotiated the
measure after
Masse's previous
effort to pass
right-to-repair
legislation in
2009.
" The [current]
agreement has
worked extremely
well, and the
aftermarket has
Masse: Aside from complaints
about access to repair data,
the increasing digital presence
under the hood and the
transition to EVs require an
actual right-to-repair law.
FILE PHOTO
authorized service providers, such
as dealerships.
" I think that this might hopefully
do one of two things, " Masse said.
" Either kick-start an interest to
modernize the current agreement
and find some of the shortfalls to it,
or have a more robust discussion as
to whether or not there has to be a
legislative agenda from the government. "
Private
members' bills have a
low probability
of becoming
law. But in addition
to Masse's
bill, Liberal MP
Wilson Miao of
British Columbia
(Richmond
Centre) has a
broader private
member's
bill that would
amend the
Copyright Act
to unlock access
to a host of comto
independents, Champagne said.
A 2020 study commissioned by the
AIA pegged the aftermarket's economic
impact at $32 billion annually,
with about 490,000 employees,
he said.
CASIS has served his industry
well, Champagne said, " but it's definitely
showing its age. "
The Global Automakers of
Canada (GAC), which speaks for
import brands, and the CVMA have
set up a task force with the AIA to
discuss any outstanding issues, said
GAC President David Adams.
" To date we haven't had a comprehensive
list of things that folks
feel there's a problem with. "
'ZERO CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS'
Dealers are not a party to
CASIS, but " zero customer complaints "
have been made, said Tim
Reuss, president of the Canadian
Automobile Dealers Association
(CADA). Any problems
that have
cropped up have
been resolved
under the agreement,
he said.
The AIA's
We need legislation to
ensure this right continues
to be protected.
JEAN-FRANÇOIS CHAMPAGNE
President, Automotive
Industries Association
Kingston: The
aftermarket
already has
access to
the same
information
tools that
dealers have.
FILE PHOTO
access to the same information
tools that dealers have, " said Brian
Kingston, president of the Canadian
Vehicle Manufacturers' Association
(CVMA), which represents the
interests of the Detroit Three automakers
in Canada.
DEALING WITH DIGITAL
But complaints about access persist,
said Masse, the NDP's auto-industry
critic. The agreement also
did not envision growing digitization
of vehicles and the transition
to highly computerized electric
vehicles. New EV players such as
Tesla and Rivian are also not part
of CASIS, Masse told Automotive
News Canada.
His bill would empower the federal
Competition Tribunal, after
receiving a complaint, to order
automakers to give independent
outlets the same data access as
puterized devices, including agricultural
equipment and motor vehicles,
so independent outlets could
service them. It has passed a second
reading.
Other countries, notably the
United States, are opting for legislation.
Several states have enacted
right-to-repair laws, and a federal
law is being considered.
LAW MEANS PROTECTION
The Automotive Industries
Association (AIA), whose 500 members
operate about 4,000 service outlets,
supports
Masse's bill.
The measure
would cement
the ability of
consumers to
choose where to
get their vehicle
repaired, said
AIA President
Jean-François
Champagne.
" We need
legislation to
ensure this
right continues
to be protected, "
he said.
Jack: A
right-to-repair
law would add
enforcement
teeth to
the current
voluntary
While dealerships
usually
arrangement.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
service vehicles still under warranty,
most out-of-warranty vehicles go
Champagne, however,
said he's
aware of access
problems that have
gone unresolved
for years.
" We've raised
those points to the
automakers, " he
said. " It's a voluntary
agreement.
There's no strong
enforcement mechanism. "
Polling
for the
AIA during the
2021 federal election suggested that
a sizable majority of Canadians
want choice and think automakers
should be required by law to share
information, Champagne said.
A survey done at the same
time for the 6.7-million-member
Canadian Automobile Association
(CAA) found that 70 per cent of
respondents favour a right to
repair, said Ian Jack, a CAA spokesman.
The
CAA poll looked more broadly
at digital rights and privacy in a
wireless world as the federal government
develops a digital charter.
" Our perspective is that we're
increasingly moving to a wireless
world when it comes to data collection
in the vehicle and transmission, "
Jack said. " It is unclear to
us whether the existing agreement
fully covers that.
" We do think we need some
guardrails around the use of that
information, including the right-torepair
information. "
The CASIS agreement was
the first of its kind in the world,
and reopening it would be a good
first step, Jack said. But it has no
enforcement teeth, as a law might
have.
" Government brokered that
deal, " he said, " and they've done
very little since to ensure that its
terms are being respected. " - ANC
TRENDING
STORIES
automotivenews.ca
ONGOING WEB COVERAGE
IT'S ELECTION TIME
Ontarians head to the polls June 2. The four major parties have
platforms that include some degree of focus on the transition
to electric vehicles. The winning party will determine how
much backing the industry will ultimately receive.
AUTO INVESTMENT
Canada has suddenly become an attractive place for auto investment:
$13 billion in an eight-week span. There are now reports of
even more automakers and suppliers considering adding Canada
to their footprints.
AI TRACKS BODY MOTIONS ON THE LINE
TOYOTA MOTOR CORP., WHOSE PRODUCTION SYSTEM IS
widely emulated in the auto industry, will soon begin installing artificial-intelligence
technology in its
plants in an effort to become more
efficient. The company has partnered
with Invisible AI of Austin, Tex., to
install thousands of units across North
American factories that will inconspicuously
track workers' joint and eye
motions as they move. Toyota team
PHOTO: TMMC
members and managers are searching for every small improvement
to eliminate a wasteful motion or a process that might be detrimental
to operations.
MAGNA CAMERAS 'SEE' THROUGH THE HOOD
THE 2022 TOYOTA TUNDRA PICKUP INCORPORATES NEW
advanced driver-assistance functions
from Magna International as the supplier
looks to establish its position with vehicle
automation. Magna said the Tundra is
equipped with a " complete surround view
system " that includes five high-resolution
cameras. The system also includes
" semi-automated " trailer guidance and a
" see-through hood, " which aids forward visibility for off-roading.
PHOTO: MAGNA
SEPARATE EV, ICE UNITS NOT FOR EVERYONE
WHILE FORD MOTOR CO. HAS OPTED TO MOVE ITS
electric vehicles into a separate business unit from its internal-combustion
vehicles, other companies such as Stellantis,
Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz intend to stay the course,
at least for now. The reasons for separation include a need for
more agility, a desire to attract capital from Tesla-besotted investors,
and a fresh start unburdened by potentially worthless " legacy "
assets such as engine factories.
GRAPHENE LIGHTENS MARTINREA BRAKES
AUTOMAKERS ARE LOOKING FOR WEIGHT SAVINGS IN
any way possible, and that extends to innovations
in brake lines. Canadian supplier
Martinrea International has developed brake
lines reinforced with graphene, a durable,
strong and ultralight carbon-based material
that could also provide a breakthrough for
electric-vehicle battery performance. The new
brake lines are 25-per-cent lighter than traditional
brake lines and were selected in April as a 2022 Automotive
News PACE Award finalist.
SIX-SPEED MANUAL OPTION FOR GR SUPRA
CATERING TO SPORTS CAR ENTHUSIASTS WHO HAVE
dwindling options for rowing their own gears, Toyota Motor Corp.
is adding a new six-speed manual transmission to the GR Supra
coupe for the 2023 model year. The optional transmission was
developed specifically for the GR Supra and will be paired with the
382-horsepower 3.0-litre inline-six-cylinder engine, Toyota Canada
said. The six-speed will be an option on the 3.0 Premium and limited
A91-MT Edition in Canada. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder will be
automatic-only. - ANC
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