Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 14

14
* DECEMBER 2023
2023ALL-STARS
DIALED IN TO THE
BATTERY FUTURE
CHRIS
BURNS
CEO
NOVONIX
" HOMEGROWN HALIFAX
tech will feed a hungry battery
industry, " the headline in the
August edition of Automotive
SECRET WEAPON:
USED VEHICLES
PAUL ANTONY
EXECUTIVE CHAIR
AUTOCANADA
THE WORST OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS
is over but automotive dealerships are hardly
back to business as usual. Dealership groups such
as Edmonton-based AutoCanada are still " beholden "
to the automakers they represent for new-vehicle
inventory, said Paul Antony, 56, executive
chair. His solution?
Increase the company's
focus on selling
used vehicles to
grow sales and act
as a hedge against
the turmoil in
new-vehicle supply.
In 2018, AutoCanada
sold 0.62 used vehicles
for every new
vehicle. In the first
quarter of 2023, that
increased to 1.72.
AutoCanada, the
only publicly traded
dealership group in
the country, has 65
franchised stores in Canada and 18 in the United
States.
The group reported sales of 15,290 used vehicles
for the first quarter, up 8.7 per cent from the
same period the previous year. New-car supply
remained constrained, Antony said during an
earnings call in May, and budget-squeezed drivers
were saving money by buying used.
AutoCanada also expanded its " exclusive " partnership
with the online classified site Kijiji.ca
in March, allowing the company to market the
group's finance and insurance products on vehicles
sold on the platform.
When the new-car turmoil eases, said Antony,
" That used-car customer - if we treat them right
and service them well - they end up becoming a
new-car customer. "
AS CEO OF FORD CANADA, BEV GOODMAN
is steering the automaker's electric-vehicle transition
while ensuring sales success for the current
lineup.
This summer, Ford announced a $1.2-billion
joint venture with South Korea's EcoProBM
and SK On to build a battery materials plant in
Bécancour, Que. And in the second quarter, Ford
will begin a $1.8-billion retooling of its Oakville,
Ont., assembly plant to produce next-generation
EVs in 2025. For Goodman, 53, these two investments
are a matter of personal pride.
" For me, as a Canadian, this is my roots, this is
my home [and] that is incredibly meaningful. "
A 20-plus-year industry veteran, Goodman took
over the top post of Ford Canada in 2021. Working
closely with the more than 400 Ford and FordLincoln
dealers, she has maintained the automakPLUGGING
IN THE MASSES
CARTER LI
CEO
SWTCH ENERGY INC.
FOR SWTCH ENERGY INC. CEO CARTER LI,
charging infrastructure is a hurdle to electric-vehicle
adoption, but not one that a bit of innovative
technology can't overcome.
A software company at its roots, Swtch enables
multi-unit residential, office and mixed-use buildings
of all ages to give EV drivers a place to charge
while making the most of available electrical
capacity.
The company's tech and hardware tools - that
run the gamut from a consumer-facing app to
cloud-based dashboards and energy management
systems for building owners - are helping provide
so-called garage orphans a reliable place to plug in.
GREEN INITIATIVES
MASSIMO
D'ARGENIO
GENERAL MANAGER
BMW LAVAL
FORWARD-THINKING DEALERSHIPS
know how critical it is to walk the talk on
sustainability, and few do it better than
BMW Laval.
The dealership in suburban Montreal
was named the first-ever winner in the
News Canada read.
Chris Burns came to Halifax
to study physics at Jeff Dahn's
groundbreaking battery lab at
Dalhousie University in 2009. By
2013, Burns and partner David
Stevens were ready to commercialize
their academic research
through a new company,
Novonix Ltd.
Burns, 36, said the company's
battery testing technology is
the " most accurate " and generates
results in a fraction of time
required by other methods.
From its humble beginning in
Halifax, Novonix is now a globLEADER
AND MENTOR
BEV GOODMAN
CEO
FORD CANADA
al leader in advanced battery
materials and technology. It has
partnered with South Korea's
LG Energy Solution to develop
high-performance artificial
graphite anodes for batteries and
is building a production facility
to produce synthetic graphite in
Tennessee.
" The market needs these materials
yesterday, " Burns said.
He hopes this facility, set to
open in 2025, will tie in with the
battery factories being constructed
across North America. Burns
said the company's product will
help cell manufacturers decouple
from China.
" Through investment in innovative
technologies, we have a
generational opportunity to build
a new industry and supply chain
for lithium ion batteries in North
America. " These technologies
will " support global electrification
and cleaner technologies
that are needed to combat climate
change, " he said.
Novonix has opened
a 35,000-square-foot
(3,300-square-metre) plant in
Halifax to pilot a new cathode-material
production process
that will cut down on waste.
er's 14-year sales
crown. And as
one of only two
women at the
helm of a car company
in Canada
- the other is GM
Canada's Marissa
West - Goodman
is a powerful
voice for diversity
in a male-dominated
industry.
" As I reflect
back on my career
and journey, it's
the importance
of taking chances
and putting
yourself out there
and trying new
things that are scary, " Goodman told more than 500
attendees in September at the Empowering Auto
conference in Toronto.
" Sometimes things are pushed on you that feel
really scary. Sometimes you'll fail, but you'll learn
from it. I took chances, I tried, " she said.
It's a fast-growing and integral segment of the
charging market, as governments and private
actors aim to make
charging available
to all drivers, not
just those with a
dedicated driveway
or garage.
Li, 39, co-founded
Swtch in 2016
and has helmed
the company,
which is based in
Toronto.
It's engaged in
projects in a growing
number of cities
across North
America and has
added offices in
New York City
and Boston. The company has 60 employees in
Canada and 30 in the United States.
sustainability category in BMW Group
Canada's 2022 Retailer of the Year
awards. The award was one of 16 presented
to BMW and Mini dealerships in
March.
The retail network in Canada consists
of 50 BMW and 31 Mini dealerships.
Being green is a family affair at BMW
Laval, which has been pursuing energy-saving
initiatives for years under the
guidance of 35-year-old General Manager
Massimo D'Argenio and his father,
Carmine, store president.
The dealership was founded in 1973
by Massimo's grandfather Gerardo, and
Carmine subsequently started the green
push with such novel ideas as a honeybee
apiary on the dealership's roof.
Recent upgrades include all-LED lighting
in the showroom, high-speed overhead
doors in the service drive-thru
and workshop areas to reduce heat loss,
a smart building control system and
the elimination of single-use plastics.
BMW Laval has been majority-owned
by Edmonton-based dealership group
AutoCanada since 2014, but the store's
values still align with those of BMW, said
Andrew Scott, director of national sales
at BMW Group Canada.
D'Argenio said the dealership isn't
done with its greening efforts. A sustainability
committee meets quarterly to discuss
progress and generate new ideas.
http://www.Kijiji.ca
Automotive News Canada - December 2023

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