Toronto, Ontario — After exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the Canadian aftermarket, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants is predicting a 46 to 52 percent decline in kilometres driven in Canada in April—with a slow recovery in the subsequent months.
Data current as of April 30 showed mobility to workplaces was down 57 percent for Canada, while traffic on Ontario’s 407 Express Toll Route highway saw a decline of 39.4 percent in March.
DesRosiers is also stressing that U.S. data, while more current, is likely not applicable to the Canadian situation given the different policy approaches in the two countries. There is a wide divergence in new vehicle sales in April between the countries—Canada saw a 75 percent decline, while the U.S. saw a 53 percent drop.
The company says it is still in the early days of analyzing COVID-19’s implications for the Canadian aftermarket.
“Much of this road still remains untravelled in terms of how fast and successful the reopening of the various provincial economies is,” said the company in an online report. “One positive is privately owned vehicles seem to be the transportation of choice in countries that have relaxed restrictions. In addition to these short-term questions, the impact of longer-term potential structural changes remains unknown.”
