ANOTHER FOR THE WALL
AutoCanada recently announced its location in Montreal, AutoLux MB Collision, has earned the much sought-after Tesla certification.
AutoLux MB Collision, which came under AutoCanada ownership in 2021, is one of a number of auto body centre acquisitions made by the company over the past several years, and news of this certification comes hot off the heels of a record-breaking third quarter for the MSO group.
The shop is nearby four of AutoCanada’s dealers in Montreal, and will surely see an influx of new business from Tesla drivers in the area.
AutoCanada executive chairman Paul Antony said, “the addition of this high-quality collision centre is another step towards our goal of filling out our national collision centre footprint.”
EV CHARGER PARTNERSHIP
On January 23, SWTCH Energy, an electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider announced its partnership with Bectrol, a Québec-based integrator of EV chargers.
This announcement marks SWTCH’s first major partnership in Québec and expands EV charging infrastructure for tenants of multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) and commercial properties in the province.
SWTCH’s open charging platform is interoperable with Hydro-Québec’s Circuit Électrique, a public electric utility in Québec. Currently, 46 percent of all registered EVs in Canada are in Québec.
In 2020, Québec committed to banning the sale of all new gasoline-powered vehicles in the province after 2035, several months before Canada committed to the same goal nationwide and aims to have 1.5M electric vehicles on the road by 2030.
NOUVEAUX AMIS
The Automotive Industries Association of Canada has appointed some new members to its Quebec Division Committee, according to a press release from January 10.
Annie Demarais is among four other industry leaders appointed to AIA’s Quebec committee and has an established background in Canada’s automotive industry, having spent the past nine years at Uni-Select and recently being named a banner programs manager. Pierre-Luc Tremblay of CARSTAR Marché Central will take up the mantle for the Quebec market, putting more than 14 years of diverse industry expertise to work.
Mathieu Côté, co-owner of Pièces d’Auto Alain Côté and Quebec auto parts will represent the parts store sector in his role. Alexandre Lajeunesse, co-owner of Garage Max in Montreal will represent the mechanic shop sector on the committee. Finally, Natasha Akhavan of Entrepôts AB will serve alongside Demarais as a distribution sector expert on the committee, specializing in collision repair.
CONTRE TOUTE ATTENTE
Proving that the Canadian car show spirit is still alive and well, the organizers of this year’s Montreal International Auto Show (MIAS) are proud to report that the show drew in a crowd of 148,516 attendees, despite the snowy weather.
This year’s show was notable for its showcase of more than 220 green and exotic vehicles; the largest number ever presented in a general public exhibition, according to MIAS’s press release.
Periera said that he is hoping the success of this year’s show will instill some enthusiasm in the OEMs who chose not to attend. The seventy-third edition of the Montreal International Auto Show ran from Jan. 20 to 29 at the Palais des congrès, and is set to return next year, according to organizers.
