Automotive News Canada - March 2023 - 18

18
* MARCH 2023
2023 CANADA CONGRESS: TORONTO, FEB. 16
Hyundai's drive for a car that drives itself
Given the scrutiny over
such systems, the company
is emphasizing testing,
although no timeline is given
By GRACE MACALUSO
MANAGING EDITOR
When Jérémie Papin, chairperson
of Nissan Americas,
looks to vehicle production
in the 2030 time frame, " I can
imagine having to add a sixth
plant to our North American
operation. "
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
" Canada is also made very
competitive in terms of attracting
new businesses, " he said.
" There are landmark projects
that are coming in, and as a big
company in North America, we
are very engaged in similar discussions.
" So
the IRA kind of accelerates
the thought process, but not
necessarily to the detriment of
Canada. "
Nissan sells the U.S.assembled
Leaf compact hatchback
and the Japan-built Ariya
crossover. The automaker plans
to electrify its entire product
lineup, Papin said.
The automaker currently
has sufficient plant capacity in
North America, but that might
change, potentially to Canada's
benefit.
" We have three plants in
Mexico and two in the Southern
states, but when I project myself
into 2030, I can imagine having
to add a sixth plant to our North
American operation. "
When asked whether Nissan
would launch an electric pickup,
Papin said: " We're launching a
lot of new products in the marketplace.
I imagine a lineup of
EVs that looks a lot like our current
internal-combustion-engine
portfolio. It makes sense to compete
in all the large segments of
our marketplace. "
According to sibling publication
Automotive News, Nissan is
be exploring a lightweight electric
pickup for the United States.
- ANC
If I project fi ve
to six years out,
I don't see the
need for another
plant, but there
are other ways to
grow plenty in
Canada and
elsewhere. "
Jérémie Papin
Chairperson
of Nissan Americas
HOST
David
Kennedy
Toronto
bureau chief
HYUNDAI MOTOR CO. HAS " INTENSE
focus " on developing Level 3 autonomousdriving
technology, said the automaker's
global chief safety officer.
" We're very close, and we're looking
to make sure we do it correctly, " said
Brian Latouf, a keynote speaker at the
2023 Automotive News Canada
Congress.
Level 2 autonomy - with features
such as steering or acceleration
assistance - is prevalent
today. Level 3 allows a vehicle
to drive itself in certain situations.
Hyundai
is preparing to
deploy such a system in South
Korea, Latouf said.
It's " kind of a highway drive-pilot type of
system that is on just highways alone and
limiting certain speeds. "
The technology " is not into production
yet, " said Latouf, a native of Windsor, Ont.,
who is based in California. " There's a lot
of testing that's happening, and the team is
looking carefully at that. "
Safely launching next-generation autonomous
features for Hyundai vehicles is among
Latouf's priorities. Others include enhancing
overall vehicle safety through a system of
" advanced data analytics. "
" We have a very structured process to
Brian Latouf
Global chief safety
officer, Hyundai
Motor Co.
SESSION 5
Guest
speaker
look across our different
data streams to say,
'Hey, are we having
some power-steering
failures that could create
lateral risk and perhaps
crashes?' "
he said. " And then we
act upon it. So, it's a
very good, technically
based data analytics
investigation recall decision
process. "
'DO THINGS CORRECTLY'
Once more advanced
autonomous technology
is ready to launch
in North America,
Hyundai will work
closely with U.S. regulatory agencies, including
the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), " to
make sure we do things correctly here, "
Latouf said.
" So, no timelines yet, but it is of intense
focus for us. "
The industry, Latouf said, must cautiously
navigate the path toward fully autonomous
vehicles.
" There's a responsibility to educate and
communicate our capabilities of a car. "
Tesla recalled more than 360,000 vehicles
in the United States and about 20,000 in
Canada to fix problems with its self-driving
system. The Feb. 16 recall comes as NHTSA
continues its investigation into Tesla's
Autopilot driver-assist system after a series
of crashes in the United States resulted in
more than a dozen injuries and one death.
Hyundai, said Latouf, " is carefully looking
at implementing a Level 3 system. We're trying
to do it safely and responsibly. We're trying
to make sure the customer understands
what is allowed and what's not allowed. "
Latouf was appointed to his post in July
and is responsible for vehicle safety throughout
Hyundai's operations globally.
In 2022, the automaker broke ground on
its Safety Test and Investigation Laboratory,
a US $51.6-million project in Superior
Township, Mich., about 60 kilometres west of
Detroit. The lab will test vehicles for North
America and features a vehicle dynamics
testing area as well as a testing and electronics
lab for electric vehicles. - ANC
Hyundai wants to implement Level 3
technology " safely and responsibly " and
" make sure the customer understands
what is allowed and what's not allowed, "
said Brian Latouf, the company's global
chief safety officer, right.
Digital retailing revelation: It isn't binary
The mix of tools needed to meet customers
wherever they want depends on the
dealership; the challenge is finding the mix
By DAVID KENNEDY
T ORONTO BUREAU CHIEF
FROM STOCKING UP ON
groceries to buying their next
vehicle, consumers are ready
to move online, digital-retailing
experts say. That's creating
serious challenges for Canadian
dealerships still fine-tuning
ways to serve customers both in
person and digitally.
Automotive retailers unable
to meet buyers at all access
points will see customers go
elsewhere, said Brent Marshall
at the 2023 Automotive News
Canada Congress.
" Consumers want to do this
online. ... They expect it to be
smooth, and it's not right now, "
said Marshall, owner of Omni
Auto, which provides a range of
omnichannel services to dealerships.
Omnichannel
refers to technology
and processes that proDigital-retailing
panelists stressed the
need for a seamless experience for
customers, whether they want to buy a
car online, in person or a mix of both.
HOST
Greg
Layson
Digital and
mobile editor
vide a seamless
buying experience
for consumers,
whether they shop
online, in store or
both.
Since the pandemic,
those consumers
have been
shifting decidedly
toward a hybrid
buying approach, said Claudia
Sciama, managing director for
automotive, consumer goods
and telco at Google Canada.
" Things that were innovation
in the past are now table
stakes, " Sciama said.
Vehicle sales taking place
entirely online remain limited,
she said, but they're on the
upswing.
Fully online sales journeys
accounted for six per cent of
vehicle sales in Canada last
year, up from one per cent
before the pandemic, Sciama
said. They also accounted for 12
per cent of EV sales in 2022.
DEALERS 'NEED TO BE READY'
Looking ahead, consumers
are poised to further embrace
online purchasing. Sciama said
her data found that 54 per cent
of all Canadian vehicle buyers
and 62 per cent of EV buyers
say they would be comfortable
purchasing their next vehicle
online, " and we need to be
ready to provide a good experiLinda
Frey
Vice-president,
marketing,
Policaro Group
Brent
Marshall
Owner,
Omni Auto
SESSION 6
Omnichannel marketing
Kevin
O'Rourke
Country
manager
Canada,
Dealers United
Claudia
Sciama
Managing director
for automotive,
consumer goods
and telco,
Google Canada
ence, " Sciama said.
Having the right blend of
tools, however, is a challenge,
said Linda Frey, vice-president
of marketing at the Policaro
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Automotive News Canada - March 2023

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