Resilient and Dynamic
Our industry continues to redefine and amaze.
Welcome to the March issue of Autosphere, which represents our first in 2024. A new year always brings with it challenges, but optimism too. Over the last five years, the world and our industry has been subject to some of the most volatile conditions we’ve ever seen. First there was the COVID-19 pandemic, which in many places essentially shut down business and mobility. Then we had supply shortages, followed by rising inflation and interest rates.
Returning to normal?
Today, we are seeing things slowly return to normal. Vehicle and parts supply is improving, but staffing shortages, high operating costs and low margins remain an issue for many, including dealers, collision centres, tire shops, mechanical service centres—the list goes on.
As a result, it can often seem hard to navigate through this environment, yet if we’ve learned anything in recent times, it is the resilience and continued importance of the automotive industry as a major driver of both the Canadian and North American economy. And I think that sometimes, we need to step back and acknowledge that, as well as the difference we all make in ensuring people can get from A to B, so they in turn can participate in and help us continue to grow and evolve as a society.
Impacting the landscape
In this issue we look at a variety of technologies that are continuing to impact the landscape including, AI, advanced vehicle powertrains and ADAS calibrations, plus we’ve got a whole host of industry experts weighing in on everything from legislative updates to collision repair trends, workplace safety, training, and cross-industry collaboration.
It’s a lot to take in, but it’s also an example of not only how fast changing and dynamic this industry is, but also how innovative it is. We hope you enjoy reading what we’ve got in store on the following pages and remember, this is your magazine as much as it is ours, so, if you’ve got any ideas or topics, you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear from you. See you next time!
