DRIVING INTO 2018
Electric vehicles sparking growth in a booming automotive industry
Electric vehicles, innovative new concept unveils, incredible breakthroughs in technology and record-breaking sales made 2017 a memorable year in the auto sector.
The Canadian auto industry saw a number of milestones this year, and as we drive on into 2018, it will be exciting to see what the year has in store for us. Industry experts are again projecting Canadian and B.C. annual vehicle sales will hit a record high, this year with an estimate of over two million vehicles.
Especially in British Columbia, the strength and size of the auto sector means more jobs in communities and more dollars streaming into the provincial economy. New Car Dealers directly and indirectly employ more than 36,000 British Columbians across the province and over the next decade, the automotive sector in B.C. will be looking to fill 20,000 new jobs, with openings ranging from positions in human resources, finance, marketing and office administration, to mechanics and technicians.
Clean Electric Vehicles (CEVs) continue to surge into the Canadian market, with a total of 41,695 CEVs on the road in November 2017, according to statistics from FleetCarma. This is an important milestone and a significant one, too, if you consider the fact that there were only 20,000 EVs in Canada in early 2016.
So what’s the in the forecast for 2018? The auto industry continues to be a global leader in the technology landscape. Over the past year, beyond the amazing new technology being added to new cars and trucks every day, we’ve seen auto manufacturers testing artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles as well as teaming up with ride share and subscription services companies. It will certainly be interesting to see how these will develop over the next few years.
The adoption of CEV’s in B.C. continues to depend on the availability of convenient charging infrastructure and will be something to keep an eye on in the coming year. British Columbia is already home to one of the longest charging networks in Canada, and it’s been exciting to see the province get charged up.
The City of Vancouver, for example, manages 75 Level 2 public charging points and one DC Fast Charger, but charging stations are not just limited to Vancouver. The number of chargers available in communities across B.C. is constantly increasing. The City of Veron, for example, has its own DC Fast Charger as does Cranbrook.
While there are already numerous makes of electric sedans on the road today, auto manufacturers are quickly reacting to demand and are rolling out more models. At the Shanghai Auto Show, visitors were excited to see the debut of several electric SUVs and wireless inductive charging was a hot topic at the Paris Motor Show. At the Tokyo Auto Show in October, one of the most popular global electric vehicles, the Nissan Leaf, was launched for its 2018 model year.
Our very own Vancouver International Auto Show will again be highlighting all things green, with new models and one of the single largest test drives of clean energy vehicles in Canada. The Auto Show is a great reflection of British Columbian’s appetite for cars and trucks. 2017 saw recordbreaking attendance, and with the Auto Show returning bigger and better than ever in 2018, we can hardly wait to welcome you!
The 2018 Vancouver International Auto Show returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre West from March 28 to April 1, 2018. For more information on the Auto Show and to purchase tickets, visit vancouverInternationalautoshow.com.