Michael Keefe

Buying vehicle inventory is as much about disqualifying vehicles as it is finding cars that hit the target. 🤔 👇 Given the number of landmines, this is particularly true when buying cars in Canada. 🔹Can the speedometer be converted without excessive expense? 🔹Does a vehicle have a tire pressure monitoring system? 🔹What's included in the vehicle history/Carfax look? 🔹What is the rebate-able Goods & Services tax? 🔹Does this vehicle have any open recalls? 🔹How does the condition report look? 🔹What are the announcements? 🔹What is the vehicle's value? 🔹What is the duty? Seymour Cars qualifies and disqualifies cars based on a unique-to-dealer 'Buy Box' Then we use our expertise in buying cars in Canada and exporting them to the US, to ensure you receive the cars you want at the price and value you expect.

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2024 marks the long-awaited arrival of the Ranger Raptor mid-size performance truck from Ford Motor Company in Canada and the US. And after spending a week with it I can say that it's the best Raptor for most people looking to get into a Ford performance truck or SUV. Check out why I feel this way in my latest review, which should go well with your Thanksgiving day plans!

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We are VERY excited about Scout Motors Inc. from Volkswagen Group! The product and spec look amazing :) The DTC distribution plan can work, despite issues that both Lucid Motors and Rivian (one boutique in Canada on the West Coast!) have endured (minimal visibility, inadequate process, other). Note...Scout may want to consider Alberta as well for the Prairie region in Canada, a vast expanse, but Calgary/Alberta will have a high propensity for this type of vehicle. We have forwarded our interest in assisting Scout Motors, as our experience (Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., Lexus) in determining location, CI facility, human capital, and relevant sales/service process is exceptional. Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. PLEASE NOTE: We are currently soliciting for OEM, DEALER GROUP, SUPPLIER, SaaS contracts/other projects. Feel free to reach out to me directly. 416.993.9356 [email protected] #automotive #automotiveindustry #innovation #brand #technology #leadership #ev #electricvehicle #retail #oem #hybrid

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Great examples of what we need and how AI can help for better healthcare!

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In the past week there's been a few important announcements in the EV industry that have direct positive impacts on Canada's East Coast: - Potential announced an additional $2M of seed round funding to advance it's AI powered ADAS and bring it to market. (https://lnkd.in/gPJQRzUt) - NOVONIX have signed a testing and development agreement with PowerCo SE, a Volkswagen Group-owned battery cell company. (https://lnkd.in/gX_iWSZj) Great things are happening in Atlantic Canada. Both of these announcements will likely lead to employment opportunities and continued growth for both companies as they make materials and technological advancements.

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Our GREAT friend and EV influencer James Carter is a prominent voice in the Canadian EV and mobility sector, and the founder of Vision Mobility, a Toronto-based consulting firm specializing in “New Mobility.” See the article on EVinfo.net: https://lnkd.in/g-mmSsHn With over 20 years of global experience in the automotive industry across Australia, Asia, and North America, James has established himself as a leading expert and influencer in the evolving landscape of global transportation as it rapidly becomes electrified. His expertise spans electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous driving technologies, shared mobility services, and sales and marketing strategies tailored to these innovations. Vision Mobility focuses on helping automakers, dealerships, startups, and other stakeholders navigate the rapid changes in the automotive sector. The firm provides strategic consulting to adapt to trends like Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), vehicle electrification, and the integration of connected car technologies. Notable clients include OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and government agencies. The company also collaborates with partners like CuriosityCX and Neckermann and Associates. With a LinkedIn following exceeding 80,000 as of December 2024, James Carter has built a significant online presence, driving industry conversations and influencing public understanding of sustainable and future-oriented transportation solutions. His vision extends beyond immediate challenges, focusing on how the mobility industry can remain profitable and viable amid ongoing technological advancements​. Carter speaks frequently at automotive and electric vehicle industry events. One example is Electrify Expo’s Industry Day, where Carter spoke in May 2024. See the video in our article for Carter's thought-leading presentation. He explored the sector’s progression since the 2010s, highlighting key milestones like the launch of lithium-ion battery-powered EVs. Carter addressed overestimated EV demand, resulting in oversupply issues but highlighted progress, with EVs making up nearly 10% of U.S. sales and 25% in California. He predicted full electrification by 2035, dismissing hybrids as transitional and emphasizing their emissions compared to BEVs. EVinfo.net highly recommends our great friend James Carter. Carter supports saving the US federal EV tax credit and EV subsidies, as we do at EVinfo.net. Electrify Expo is a premier event dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements in EVs. It is the largest EV event in North America, featuring a wide array of exhibits and demonstrations. EVinfo.net is an EV-influencer led publication, offering sponsored articles, interviews and more to the EV industry: https://lnkd.in/gH5Gdqb7 Sign up for the EVinfo.net e-news, coming in 2025: https://lnkd.in/gHq6iA2p #evcharging #electricvehicles

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🚗🔋 As demand for EVs grows, costs drop and affordability improves. To accelerate this trend, we need to invest in incentives for EV adoption and support charging infrastructure. Our recommendations to Finance Canada / Finances Canada 👇

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One rising trend in the #automotive market in Canada that became supercharged during the semi-conductor related vehicle shortages of 2021-23 was the growth of build-to-order (BTO) vehicle purchases – where a consumer orders a specific vehicle, rather than buying from inventory. Already championed by some new entrants such as Tesla, BTO grew in prominence in 2021-23, largely by necessity, as dealer inventories hit record lows. Now in 2024 with inventories restored, DAC reached out to both dealers and consumers to gather some data as to the perceived future of this dynamic. The research clearly showed that Canadian vehicle purchasers are willing to wait some time to take delivery of their new vehicle. Indeed only 10.1% of consumers noted a willingness to wait less than a week while 55.7% said they would be willing to wait more than a month. Over twenty percent of consumers (22.6%) noted that they would be willing to wait more than 3 months. Dealers also clearly believe that some form of BTO is here to stay. When asked about their outlook for sales in 2030, dealers stated that they expect 45.3% of sales at that time to be BTO - with traditional inventory sales at 54.7%. “Consumers are clearly willing to wait a reasonable amount of time to take delivery of their desired vehicle” commented Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC. He continued, “Assuming supply chains are working efficiently and vehicles can be delivered in a timely manner, extensive on the ground inventory does not appear to be a prerequisite for success in meeting consumer demand.” The DAC Light Vehicle Study is an annual survey of 4,500 Canadian vehicle maintainers and purchasers that has since 1992 tracked vehicle maintenance incidence, costs, DIY/DIFM rates, brand preferences, and much more across multiple product categories. #radio #radioadvertising

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🚗 Navigating Subprime with Ease and Innovation - Spotlight on AutoCapital Canada Inc.'s Cosigner Program 🚀 Hey, subprime finance managers! Ted Lam here from AITHR Automotive Intelligence, diving into another smooth approval process, this time showcasing Auto Capital Canada (ACC). 🌟 ***Did you know ACC offers an exclusive cosigner program where the cosigner can detach after just 9 months? This unique feature not only enhances flexibility but also boosts customer confidence in committing to loans.**** In a recent demonstration, with just a few clicks in AithrX, we matched a Tier 2 approval—$700 paycall at 17.99% interest with $10,000 for a trade where $15,000 was owed—to over 650 vehicles in Ontario perfectly fitting the ACC guidelines. 🚗💨 Imagine the possibilities for your dealership with access to Aithr's cutting-edge tech and ACC's innovative financing solutions. Streamline your operations, maximize deal potentials, and keep your clients rolling smoothly into their perfect vehicles. 🛠️✨ Ready to transform your subprime strategy? Dive into a demo and see how Aithr can revolutionize your dealership's performance today. #AutoFinance #SubprimeSolutions #AithrAdvantage #AutomotiveInnovation

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Honored to be one of the Esteemed Panel Judges for the Collision Pitch Competition hosted by TIE. Excited to share how Gigl is driving high-performance influencer marketing for brands & agencies, and see the latest startup innovations this year 🚀 This is an event you can't miss! #womenintech #womeninleadership #influencermarketing #marketing #innovation #technology #digitalmarketign #ai #startup

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Would it surprise you to learn that used car sales in Canada accounted for 57% of the total sold in 2022, and increased to 60% in 2023?  This rising trend points to the fact that Canadian consumers are looking increasingly at preowned/used cars as affordable alternatives to more expensive new vehicles. The pre-owned EV market is an is an important part of the transition to sustainable mobility. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the differences between shopping for ICE vs. EV vehicles in the used car market.

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There's a new Canadian law coming down the pipes that will help give you more access to your healthcare data. Having been helping with Healthcare data interoperability for more than a few years, here are the main challenges we face to making this a reality: 1. Interoperability standards must be NATIONAL in scope, otherwise the implementation burden for vendors is too high to be practical. However, since the implementation is always provincial, the provinces are regularly trying to apply their own special sauce to their regional implementations, which then makes the national specification discussion more difficult. 2. Interoperability standards must have a common approach to VALIDATION testing. This is highly technical, and difficult to do well. The same national vs. provincial tensions exist here as in item #1 3. Designing the standards is currently done on a mostly volunteer basis. This works but is very, very slow. It is difficult and highly skilled work, and needs to be recognized and funded as such. 4. Many strong voices advocate to accomplish the goals of this legislation by centralizing to the same applications rather than improving interoperability. The genie is out of the bottle on this one --- any vendor that can play be the interoperability rules should be able to enter the game. I should add that Canada Health Infoway is making strides on many of these challenges, but we still have a ways to go. https://lnkd.in/gFipEg-i

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Our marketing team mistook the ‘delete’ button for the ‘post’ button, but … We just completed our very first product demo with Ontario Centre of Innovation and Innovation Factory ! Extremely privileged to have received the support for these past 3 years through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) Stream 2 R&D Partnership Fund. Developing a comprehensive product for the #railway industry isn’t a trendy innovation to many, but we managed to showcase the fruits of our labor. Although we started out as a hardware-first startup, we’ve since begun to embrace our potential as a #data analytics startup to aid railway inspection and to eventually provide #predictive maintenance to our clients.  While having OVIN’s support has already enabled us to engage in strategic conversations with railways in the United States, Spain and Mexico, none of this would have been possible without amazing people like Mona Eghanian, MBA, P.Eng Dan Ruby Brett Young Tim Yamashita Juan Carlos Hiedra Cobo, PhD, P.Eng. James Berube Mark Lawrence Jim Farrel Kelly Yili Tang, Ph.D, P.Eng mohamed zaki Philip Marquis BSc. MBA and many others! It’s very humbling for these awesome people to have seen our potential way back in 2021, and this will only spur us on to break new frontiers in the railway industry. Special shoutout to Pragya Saxena for leading the showcase, as well as everyone else: Oliver W. Eshani Gautam Hein Aung Zaw Conor Seetal Anthea Yip Guillermo Asseburg Vera Jainam Nimish Shroff Aagyapal Kaur Martin Lord Song Chang ⚡If you’re new here, click here to find out what we’re all about:   https://lnkd.in/gNdf6KpJ #ApoSys #PredictiveMaintenance #RailwayInnovation #sustainable #climatechange #predictivemaintenance #infrastructure #railway #highway #roadmaintenance #autonomous #digitaltwin #digitaltransformation #monitoring

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🚗 Big news in the automotive industry! 🚗 According to Bloomberg, Thoma Bravo, LLC, the private equity investment firm that completed the acquisition of TRADER Corporation in 2016, is working with an adviser to solicit interest from potential buyers. The company could be valued at $4 billion or more, including debt. The deliberations are ongoing and Thoma Bravo could still opt to keep the company, the Bloomberd reports. A representative for Thoma Bravo declined to comment. Trader, headquartered in Etobicoke, Ontario, operates popular websites including autotrader.ca. Thoma Bravo acquired Trader in 2016 from Apax Partners for about C$1.6 billion. In a strategic move, Trader also acquired Dealertrack Canada two years ago, expanding its influence and capabilities in the automotive software market. Thoma Bravo is a prominent private equity firm known for investing in and nurturing software and technology companies. Their portfolio includes high-profile companies like J.D. Power, which Thoma Bravo has also been considering for sale. Despite aiming for a valuation of about US$8 billion, the firm has faced challenges finding a buyer at that price. What does this mean for the Canadian auto industry? Trader Corporation has nearly established a monopoly in the Canadian automotive market, encompassing key entities such as AutoTrader.ca, Dealertrack, and Quebec-based Activix. This dominant position allows them to control advertising, communication, and sales channels, leaving dealers heavily reliant on their platforms. The anticipated sale of Trader has been a long time coming, especially given the significant staff reductions we've observed across their acquisitions. While these cuts have resulted in higher margins, they have also led to the departure of top talent, with many skilled employees moving to other companies. For any potential buyer, it is crucial to already have a strong presence in the automotive industry. This would enable them to seamlessly integrate Trader's operations into their existing processes and retain the acquired knowledge base. This level of industry insight is necessary to run the company effectively and to provide a long-term strategic vision, unlike Thoma Bravo's approach, which focuses on short-term profitability. Given the high valuation, there are only a few potential buyers capable of such an acquisition. UK-based Keyloop and US-based Tekion are among the few companies with the resources and industry position to consider this purchase. The industry should closely monitor this situation in the coming months to see how it unfolds.

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Ontario's automotive sector is on the verge of a major transformation, but it's facing a critical issue that could hinder progress unless addressed promptly. According to a recent article, there's a skills gap in the province's workforce that could prevent it from becoming North America's electric vehicle powerhouse. To ensure Ontario's success, it's crucial that we address this skills gap and align our workforce with the demands of the automotive industry. Let's work together to make sure our province is at the forefront of this exciting and rapidly changing industry. Check out the article to learn more. #Ontario #automotivesector #electricvehicles #workforcealignment #skillsgap

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🚗⚡️ Why are vehicle shoppers in Canada hesitant to buy EVs? Here are the top 3 reasons: - 68% worry about limited driving range per charge. - 61% are deterred by purchase price. - 60% are concerned about charging station availability. Despite significant investments and efforts from automakers and industry leaders, EV consideration continues to decline in Canada. This is just a glimpse of the insights available in the 2024 J.D. Power Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration Study. ➡️ To access more insights, visit:

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For the next two days, taking in insights on where we are on AI and where we're headed with experts in the field to help our members navigate this fast evolving field. #momentumai #reuters #globalautomakerscanada

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