Car FYI

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company Since Ford’s presence in Canada starting in 1904, vehicles with internal combustion engines have been prominently sold and reliably produced in the country. Since 1953, Ford of Canada’s dominating production hub has been based in Oakville, Ontario. Over the course of decades, products turned out by the Oakville Assembly plant included vehicles from Ford Motor Company’s short-lived Edsel brand, the F-Series pickup truck, the compact Escort as well as the Windstar/Freestar minivan. At the start of 2020, Ford’s Oakville Assembly plant and its workforce of roughly 3,600 members has been producing the Edge mid-sized crossover vehicle as well as the Lincoln Nautilus premium crossover. With a reputation for building dependable, sought-after automobiles, a flourishing future of Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex is secured by plans to convert vehicle output to battery electric vehicles. Following a successful negotiation with the union representing 5,400 emplo...

Photo Credit: Volkswagen Motorsport  The notion that motorsports improve the development of road cars is supported by an endless pile of case studies. While also progressing the course of technology, racing can provide a venue to promote a new image or ideology. Happening appropriately on Earth Day, Volkswagen unveiled a hill climb race vehicle the auto company intends to represent the spirit for their already-committed I.D. electric production car future. First announced last October and previewed with sketches that emerged last month, the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak competition machine has now debuted in its real-world form as a fully-electric super sports car. The introduction comes just two months ahead of the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb where the vehicle will be driven by former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Romain Dumas. Slated to be propelled with 680 horsepower of electrically channeled force, the I.D. R Pikes Peak is not merely focused on completing t...

Photo Credit: Volkswagen AG During the late 1960s, the classic Volkswagen Microbus was recognized as a staple with the Flower Power culture and the early figures leading to the current environmental-minded motions. Driven or ridden in by individuals of vision almost fifty years ago, Volkswagen Group has heeded calls towards greener motoring. Intent to have one million of their vehicles per year sold powered by an electric powertrain by 2025, Volkswagen had already pledged to construct a production version of last year’s I.D. Electric concept car for 2020. Coming shortly after the unveiling of the compact all-electric vehicle, the German auto giant wildly imagined one of their most celebrated shapes adhering to their vision for the fast-approaching future. Premiering at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ concept car explored the versatility afforded through an electrified powertrain. Styling of the electric concept car  wise...

Photo Credit: General Motors of Canada It was almost two years ago when the Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept car made an electrifying appearance at the 2015 Canadian International AutoShow . Coinciding with the vehicle’s presence at the auto show was the official news Chevrolet would sell a production version of the all-electric compact. After a short development from car show to showroom, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is ready for the challenging climate of Canada. At the beginning of February, a trio of electric vehicle enthusiasts has become the first 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV owners. Dean Myers Chevrolet and City Chevrolet of Toronto, Ontario as well as Bourgeois Chevrolet in Rawdon, Quebec (located roughly 60 kilometers north of Montreal) have the distinction of delivering the long-range compact electric car to their customers. Director at Scotiabank Samantha Mesrobian, former president of RenoDepot Claude Michaud and I.T. Executive Joe Winkfein are named as the first members of the Ch...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The Detroit-based North American International Auto Show has always fueled an early release of potentially game-charging designs and vehicle philosophies from automakers (with American companies traditionally reserving some of their most pivotal presentations). After the course of recent history, Ford Motor Company hasn't been afraid to make some noise on the departure or arrival of a new year. In December 2013, the current generation Mustang broke cover ahead of the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit while a new F-150 pickup truck debuted for that same exhibition. The following year, Ford decided to retain the suspense for the show introducing two EcoBoost-propelled, high-performance models in the form of the GT supercar and the F-150 Raptor. Ahead of the 2017 edition of the important automotive event, the blue oval has set out some remarkable new plans that includes adding electrified powertrains to some iconic Ford vehicles wit...

Photo Credit: Screenshot Via Real Racing 3/EA In an ironic move, cars introduced to the Real Racing 3 app share a power source similar to that maintained in electronic devices running the popular game. As the holiday season started, the developers behind Real Racing 3 announced access to updated content made possible through a new partnership in the motorsport world. For the first time on the app, the all-electric race vehicles belonging to the FIA Formula E championship can now be wheeled by an accelerometer and touchscreen pad. The addition of FIA Formula E comprises of three race vehicles as well as the introduction of a new Hong Kong street course. Digital representations of the 2016/2017 Formula E championship batter-powered race cars are based on the SRT_01E vehicle created by a collaborative effort of companies including Spark Racing Technology, Renault and Dallara. For Real Racing 3, cars included is the Renault e.dams team's Z.E.16, NextEV NIO's TCR Formula 002 ...

Photo Credit: Audi of America In less than a month, the potential of a new year in the automotive sector will be in full bloom in Detroit. For a longtime a showcase largely reserved for new cars and ideas of the American automakers, growing interests of other brands has elevated the North American International Auto Show into a pinnacle global event. German luxury car maker Audi will be among the world motoring contingent choosing the 2017 edition of the auto show in Detroit to debut their latest vehicle imagery in the form of the Q8 concept. Previewed in pair of sketches ahead of the 2017 North American International Auto Show, the Audi Q8 concept front and side exterior views reveal a sizable crossover infused with a healthy performance appetite. Featuring a long hood and long flat roof and a wide front version of Audi's Singleframe grille, the Q8 concept vehicle's outer appearance does convey an intentional sport design. Although premiering as a concept in Detroit, th...

Photo Credit: Business Wire Does $750,000 US electric car sound costly or is it worth it for the world's fastest street legal all-electric car? Genovation Cars, a small American company based in the state of Maryland, had spent years creating an electric vehicle for the high-performance market. Converting one of the oldest running nameplates into a green supercar, the seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport coupe was transformed into the Genovation GXE, The GXE emerged as record-setter this past July becoming the quickest public road-worthy electric car 205.6-mile per hour (330.881 kilometers per hour) run at Kennedy Space Center in Florida certified by the International Mile Racing Association, On the same week as reports that Audi pulled the plug on its R8 e-tron supercar after a very short construction run, Genovation has started accepting orders for its intended limited production vehicle. At a cost of $750,000 in the currency of Canada's southern neighbo...

Photo Credit: Fisker Inc. The electrified luxury car marketplace has become the new promised land for 21st century motoring. Long-established companies such BMW, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors have offered vehicles that can operate primarily on electrical power for at least a short distance. However, relatively newer production car builders such as McLaren and Tesla Motors found opportunities to claim a piece of the high-end vehicle segment. Halfway in 2017, a new but familiar Fisker Inc. will rejoin the electrified luxury vehicle market in a completely fresh manner. Nine years ago, automotive designer Henrik Fisker founded a company that applied the expertise behind the style of the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9 into a radical sedan. Fisker Automotive set out to create a luxury car based on the plug-in hybrid powertrain, First revealing the elegant Fisker Karma in 2008 , the vehicle transcended the confides of traditional electric car styling seen at the time. The Karma's f...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy At the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors' volume-leading division Chevrolet made a bold presentation of a concept representing the notion of the bowtie brand's first serious production vehicle not to be powered by an internal combustion engine. Besides the existence of the all-electric Bolt EV Concept, Chevrolet made a bold-looking pledge of an affordable battery-powered vehicle that can be driven to a range beyond 200 miles (320 kilometers). The original Bolt EV Concept quickly morphed into the production-ready all-electric concept car preserving a surprisingly hefty account of the design features touted on the auto show floor almost two years ago. A subcompact hatchback with a share of economy and technology, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will soon need to face the test of persuading a mass market to realistically consider an option to gasoline power. As the early 2017 arrival of the all-electric Chevy is being...

Photo Credit: Renault With an electrified future of automobiles depending upon the quick reaction of current car builders, there seems to be some credence to believe a window of opportunity could exist for smaller start-up operations becoming a major player. The leading supporting argument to a newcomer company unbound by its past internal combustion vehicle development hitting it big is Tesla Motors. While Canada's immediate future doesn't consist of a home-grown, mass-produced Ludicrous Mode-infused electric car, AZRA Canada does look to launch a smaller-scale Tesla Motors-style business from Quebec. The electric vehicle strategy for AZRA Canada revolves around a two-prong attack. The first component to AZRA Canada's business is supplying an electric vehicle to the marketplace. Passing through a major regulatory stage last month, AZRA Canada's all-electric product, the Renault Twizy, cleared the approval step with Transport Canada. The Twizy set to roam on Ca...

Photo Credit: Tesla Motors Tesla Motors has repeatedly beaten odds for a start-up United States-based automaker. Specifically focused on the creation of electric vehicles, the California car builder overcame sceptics with their Roadster and later with the release of the Model S sedan. When the Tesla Model S would gain the honour of Motor Trend's Car of the Year in 2013 , the win of one of the most prestigious vehicle awards meant no one could afford to underestimate the electric car company. As soon as Tesla's buzz reached critical mass in the United States, the brand has expanded rapidly. In Canada, the electric vehicle's image has grown swiftly. Since Tesla's first Canadian sales store opened inside Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre in 2012, addition locations in the Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal area have spouted up. 17 of Tesla's Supercharger charging stations are also part of the electric car company's Canadian infrastructure. With such a bri...