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Groupe MHT is a Quebec-based multi-brand dealership group representing brands including Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Mercedes-Benz. Led by Serge Le Roux, the group has distinguished itself through sustained growth and a strong ability to anticipate changes in the automotive market.

Recognizing mobility as a strategic growth opportunity for dealerships, Groupe MHT partnered with Vulog to launch Leo Autopartage, a carsharing service in Montreal. In this interview, Serge Le Roux and Vulog’s CEO Gregory Ducongé discuss how the project originated, its long -term financial impact, and what it reveals about the future of dealerships. 

Gregory Ducongé, CEO of Vulog: Serge, before we dive into Leo Autopartage and our partnership, I’d like to start with your journey. You’ve built an impressive dealership group, can you tell us a bit about your background in the industry?

Serge Le Roux, CEO of Groupe MHT:  I entered the dealership world quite early. In 1992, I purchased Toyota Drummondville and made the decision to relocate permanently to Drummondville to really commit to growing the business. At the time, the dealership had 23 employees and generated about $9 million in revenue. 

Over the years, by surrounding myself with the right teams, we grew the company steadily. That first success made me want to go further: Honda Drummondville in 2007, Mazda Drummondville in 2008, followed by the gradual expansion of the group into a structured, multi-brand organization.

This journey taught me one essential lesson: in our industry, those who endure are the ones who know how to evolve before they are forced to.

Gregory Ducongé: Groupe MHT is deeply rooted in traditional automotive retail, why did you choose to invest in a carsharing service in Montreal

Serge Le Roux: Because the market is changing very concretely. In Montreal, as in all major cities, a growing share of the population no longer needs to own a vehicle permanently. However, the need for mobility remains unchanged.

For a dealership, ignoring this shift would be a strategic mistake. Either we accept gradually losing touch with these customers, or we adapt our value proposition. Leo Carsharing was born from this reflection: how to remain relevant in a world where usage is overtaking ownership.

Gregory Ducongé: How did this partnership with Vulog come about? 

Serge Le Roux:  It actually happened very naturally. From our very first discussions, I understood that Vulog doesn’t just provide technology. Their real strength lies in their operational expertise in shared mobility.

The example of Leo&Go in Lyon was a decisive factor. We’re talking about a large-scale, profitable service with real on-the-ground complexity. It proves that the model works when it’s executed properly. For a dealership, that’s reassuring: we’re not starting from scratch.

Gregory Ducongé: What were your main motivations as a dealership group?

Serge Le Roux: They were both strategic and very pragmatic. From a strategic standpoint, I’m convinced that dealerships must remain at the center of the automotive ecosystem. However, if we limit ourselves to one-off vehicle sales, that central role is threatened in the medium term.

From an economic standpoint, Leo Carsharing makes it possible to completely rethink value creation. The vehicle is no longer a product sold once, but an asset leveraged throughout its entire lifecycle: sold into the fleet, operated in shared mobility, and then resold as a used vehicle. This lifecycle approach opens up new opportunities in terms of volume and profitability.

Gregory Ducongé: Concretely, what role has Groupe MHT played in the Leo Autopartage project?

Serge Le Roux: We play a very clear and well-defined role. We bring the vehicles, dealership expertise, and the ability to structure both procurement and resale.

Vulog, on the other hand, takes care of the entire mobility operation: technology, day-to-day operations, customer experience, and fleet optimization. This is a key point. Carsharing is a business in its own right. This partnership makes it possible to innovate without pulling dealerships away from their core activity.

Grégory Ducongé: How has this project influenced your vision of the future of Groupe MHT and the dealership business as a whole? 

Serge Le Roux: It has profoundly changed the way we think about the value of a vehicle. We now approach it in terms of usage, turnover, and long-term returns, rather than focusing solely on unit margins.

It also opens up new commercial opportunities: urban customers, businesses, occasional users, and customers who cannot or do not want to buy. Leo Carsharing becomes an entry point to a different kind of relationship with mobility.

Gregory Ducongé: Looking ahead, how do you see this partnership and Leo Autopartage evolving?

Serge Le Roux: Leo Carsharing is, for us, a true laboratory. In the long term, I strongly believe in a mobility platform approach: carsharing, short-term rental, subscriptions, courtesy vehicles, all brought together within a single ecosystem.

For a dealership group, this represents an extremely powerful new distribution channel. It allows us to put more vehicles into circulation, better manage their lifecycle, and remain indispensable in a changing market.

Shared mobility is not a threat to dealerships. It is a natural extension of their role,  provided they engage with the right partners and adopt the right operational approach. With Leo Carsharing, we are demonstrating that it is possible to combine innovation, profitability, and a strong foundation in the core business of automotive distribution.

Go behind the scenes of Leo Autopartage

Want to learn more about how we built a carsharing service from scratch in less than 8 months, along with the lessons learned since it’s launch in since May 2025? Check out our exclusive, first-of-its-kind series that takes you behind the scenes to show what it really takes to build a successful carsharing service from the ground up.