The good’ol days of roll-down windows and in-dash CD players (or cassette tapes if you are my vintage!) are long gone. While power windows have been around for decades, the vehicles that get us from point A to B have vastly improved and now often come standard with Bluetooth, WiFi, charging pads, navigation and much more – they are basically computers on wheels.
Technology hasn’t stopped at creature comforts, it has also revolutionized the way many new vehicles are powered. The manufacture, purchase and sale of EVs in Ontario have steadily increased year over year. Luxury and mainstream brands alike have added EVs to their lineup (no doubt to compete with Tesla’s virtual monopoly of the space), with many brands pledging to go entirely electric over the next several years.
As the vehicles and the landscape in which they operate change at a frenetic pace, one must ask: has the automotive industry prepared itself for the electric new world? Are car dealers and their staff ready for this new world and the responsibility that comes with increasingly ‘smart’ cars?
The rise of EVs and vehicles which are more computer than engine raise a number of privacy and cybersecurity concerns/threats that dealers must prepare for in order to ensure continued excellence in service and client experience – and equally as important – future OMVIC/MVDA compliance.
Republished with permission from the Fall 2022 issue of The Ontario Dealer magazine.
