INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Under normal circumstances, the Ontario automotive sector accounts for more than 20 percent of the GDP, but when North America’s economy shut down over COVID-19—so did sales. When production started ramping up in May, a rebound began and produced a 46 percent improvement, although annual sales are down 16 percent year-over-year, an estimated 1.6 million units. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants reports 165, 000 vehicles sold in July, a 6.3 percent increase, down 4.9 percent below July 2019.
Pushing ahead, the questions hanging over the industry is what the future will look like post-COVID. A report on Canada’s Automotive Future by KPMG states production of EVs by the major OEMs will accelerate rapidly over the next five years, as will autonomous features. By 2025, the advisory firm predicts as many as 13 million EV and hybrid vehicles produced annually.
CAR-O-LINER’S CASE
This year’s SEMA event has had a few glitches here and there but has overall provided a more accessible way for the global automotive industry to connect. Car-O-Liner® is one of the leading global manufacturers of collision repair and wheel alignment systems. The group brands include Car-O-Liner®, Josam®, TruckCam™ and Car-O-Liner Academy.
Despite the lack of in-person connections, the company believes it is serving its customers better than ever; because there is no need for travel they’re home attending to business as usual. Car-O-Liner® plans to participate in the hybrid format next year if SEMA moves forward as they have indicated, meaning that they would have a virtual event and in-person event happening simultaneously.
NEW MINIMUM FOR ALUMINUM
A recent industry report indicates that aluminum PPV (pounds per vehicle) in automobiles is expected to rise 12 percent by 2026, bringing the average weight of aluminum in vehicles to 233 kilograms, or 514 lbs.—a marked increase from ten years ago, when the average aluminum content clocked in at 187 kg (332 lbs).
The study, released in August by DuckerFrontier for the Aluminum Association, seems to point to a shift toward increased aluminum use in vehicle assembly, projecting that about one-third of any fender or door on a newcar dealership lot will be aluminum in only six years. As it stands, the average aluminum content in vehicles is around the 208 kg (459 lbs) mark, with parts such as hoods, tailgates and doors being made from aluminum more and more frequently as the years go on.
FAUX-EM
Repair shops are being warned about the pitfalls of counterfeit parts in a recent white paper report from the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2). In the report, A2C2 warns that e-commerce-based parts distributors may be contributing to an influx of counterfeit auto parts that consumers may not be aware they are purchasing.
The report identified specific challenges repairers may identify when working with counterfeit parts: “Counterfeit vehicle hoods designed without crumple zones may penetrate the passenger compartment in a crash, putting vehicle occupants at greater risk; counterfeit grilles may not properly house safety sensors that control the vehicle’s supplemental restraint system (SRS) and/or other collision mitigation systems, thus rendering those systems inoperable; counterfeit glass can shatter or displace, injuring and/ or failing to protect vehicle occupants.”
DATA DISPUTE
The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada announced its support for the Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice. campaign, adding more momentum to the growing initiative. Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) saw a need to educate and engage car owners, policymakers and other stakeholders on car data issues; from what it is to why it matters and the implications for consumer choice.
Consumers face even more inconvenience and greater costs, not to mention fewer options for repair services without the control and access to their wireless diagnostic and repair information. With the support of AIA Canada, there will be increased awareness regarding car access data and control issues in Canada. The AIA Canada campaign website will also be home to various educational materials that will help to inform and encourage those in the industry to take control by signing a petition. This petition asks the Government of Canada to give consumers control of, and access to their vehicle data.
ADAS ACCREDITATION
I-CAR will create a new ADAS technician role that will eventually be required for Gold Class shops, I-CAR sales and marketing senior vice president Nick Notte said on Tuesday. During the virtual broadcast of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), Notte said that January’s CIC event included a suggestion for I-CAR to create such a role.
He announced that I-CAR had accepted the challenge during yesterday’s broadcast. Andrew Shepherd, I-CAR Canada’s executive director confirmed the program will also apply in Canada. During Wednesday’s CIC presentation, Notte said I-CAR plans to reach out to repairers, OEMs and ADAS designers for input about the new job and hopes to have an update on it for the January 2021 CIC.
