Car FYI

Photo Credit: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles North America The figurehead of the Jeep brand, the image of the Wrangler is a storied shape in automotive history created by necessity. The military-developed four-wheel drive vehicle related to the modern Jeep Wrangler was manufactured as a specialized mode of transportation for reliability handling rough terrain. Since the end of the second world war, the vehicle was steadily contemporized over the decades improving its looks, function and comfort. When the latest generation Wrangler was introduced in 2018, FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) retained much of its rugged off-roading personality but applied the flexibility to accept advanced technologies. Along with a powerful Pentastar V-6 engine, the 2018 Jeep Wrangler arrived with the choice of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that included the additional electric power punch of an eTorque system. For 2021, the introduction of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid allows drivers to ch...

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: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. How many of us have envisioned ourselves in a different time or place. To see or relive a moment in history in a manner you would not think possible or perhaps to be present with those we admire or love is to many the ultimate form of exploration. While time travelling is yet to be realized, many of us find ways to capture the essence of the past. This can be quite a difficult feat for those birth came after a time period. Automotive design has been no stranger to recompile their past for a future creation. At the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one corporate attendee chose to show up in a mid-20th century costume. A youngish brand born in 1989, Infiniti introduced a 1940s-1950s inspired concept car melding the past, present and future. Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. Classical in appearance, the Infiniti Prototype 9 is a vehicle that adapts its own image to a historical era of motor racing. The Prototype 9...

Photo Credit: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E Since 1978, the City of Montreal has been known for showing hospitality to the global open wheel racing stars of the Formula 1 championship. A month and half later Lewis Hamilton won the 50th year anniversary edition Canadian Grand Prix, a new world auto racing tour prepares to put on a show unlike any other seen at such a scale in this country. Formula E makes its debut in Canada for what is the season three finale with the Montreal ePrix. Consisting of all-electric open wheel race cars fielded by well-rated teams and some established professional drivers, FIA's Formula E first became a spectacle in 2014 when the series debuted in Beijing.  Competing with an identical chassis designed by Dallara and built by Spark Racing Technology, Formula E teams have been permitted to develop their own electric power units since the second season. Electric powertrain options have opened the door to major automakers such as Jaguar and BMW currently i...

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 province of Quebec has been one of the most aggressive regions in Canada implementing an electric vehicle culture. In 2015, Quebec’s provincial Liberal government pushed forth a $420-million plan to greatly electrify the roadways that target the presence of 100,000 electric-propelled vehicles in the province by 2020. Along with extending incentives that result to an amount as high as $8,000, plans also take into account a need for a significant increase of publicly-accessible charging apparatuses for promoting electric vehicle travel. In the first full year since Quebec’s transportation ambitious push for battery-powered vehicles, the province's major power station provider unveils encouraging signs that a large-scale adoption of electric cars is on a path of progression. During 2016, the use of Electric Circuit charging stations was recorded to be 146% higher than the previous year. In total, 114,261 charges took place over the 12 months of la...

Photo Credit: Volkswagen AG Automakers around for a long time are often presented with the opportunity to relive some proud moments. Production milestones, anniversaries of key dates or the continuation of a popular vehicle model name are moments to cerebrate past achievements often in a manner meant to connect a brand’s past and present. Using one of their more culturally significant designs, Volkswagen’s presence at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is anchored by a vintage Microbus charm loaded with their latest smart vehicle technology. Photo Credit: Volkswagen AG The latest glimpse at Volkswagen’s post-diesel focus on electrification as a manner of cleaner motoring, the I.D. BUZZ concept re-imagines the utility and personality belonging to the 1960s Volkswagen vans for a 21st century climate. Exterior design cues from the original Volkswagen Microbus is translated into modern times on a 194.6-inch (4.943-meter) long platform that is an ext...

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: 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: 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 In 2003, major auto makers in the world were not even close to considering an electric car for the general market. As a matter of fact, that automotive era was marked as the time where a large group of the small publicly available electric car population was extinguished with General Motors repossessing and destroying their fleet of EV1s. It was this time where a small business called Tesla Motors was established. Launching first a roadster, the company ambitiously committed to a luxury sedan called the Tesla Model S. Critics ate crow as the car became a runaway success for the electric car revolution. As Tesla Motors most recently attracted fanfare with the delayed but still highly-desired Model X electric crossover, the popularly of the car company became immediately apparent. how the cultural icon could serve the world well with a high-volume production vehicle. On the late day of March, the official first presentation of Tesla Model 3 gave us the vis...

Photo Credit: Renault Spring brings a certain amount of electricity in the air. If you have attended or kept abreast of the North American auto show season, you will realize automobiles are also seeing the a futuristic light in regards to alternative energy. Electric cars or vehicles featuring the propulsion assistance through electricity is becoming as common as alloy wheels. A new beginning where established automotive players have introduced like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, all-new Toyota Prius, Acura NSX and Hyundai IONIQ, the uncharted territory in the 21st century gives some newcomers a fighting chance to make a name. Tesla Motors comes to mind immediately as a disrupter to the traditional motoring landscape with the Model S and the Model X. One Canadian company in Terrebonne, Quebec ambitions to carve a niche in the electric car market passed through an important step earlier this month. AZRA Canada, a business that touts operating Canada's largest private network of f...

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...

Photo Credit: Chevrolet You could say Chevrolet recognized the 'current' stage of development for automobiles last year when they unveiled the Bolt EV concept . The electric car concept itself is far from being an imaginative design study but Chevrolet attached a strong sense of purpose behind the small vehicle first shown publicly at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. The last time such focus and devotion accompanied a radical vehicle proposal from Chevrolet, a 2007 plug-in hybrid concept car was sculpted into the production Volt sedan. Coming to life in a city set ablaze by the illumination of electric signs, the example of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV production car shines brightly. A debut at the 2016 CES (Consumer Electronics Show), the 2017 Bolt EV is the second year in a row Chevrolet chose to give the high-tech minded audience in Las Vegas the first look at their electrified production car. Last, year, the second-generation Chevrolet Volt preview  al...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The electrified auto sector has moved at a rapid pace in the past five years. Back then, Tesla Motors only attracted attention through the production of the odd all-electric roadster while the Nissan Leaf all-electric car and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt were only entering the marketplace. Another car garnering attention during the infancy of the electric vehicle renaissance was prepared by a Californian based company Fisker Automotive. A premium vehicle designed by the same person behind the Aston Martin DB9, the Fisker Karma was a plug-in hybrid luxury car was heavily plagued during its short production run. Production itself was delayed by two years with the first sale examples of the Karma arriving in 2011. When the remnants of Hurricane Sandy hit the upper-part of the United States in November 2012, a large quantity of Fisker Karmas was ultimately written-off when they were caught in the massive flood. The vehicle itself was also affected by an...

With the all-new Volvo XC90, the Swedish auto company will introduce the option of the world's first seven-passenger plug-in hybrid later this year. The 2016 XC90 T8 Plug-in Hybrid (also called the Twin Engine by Volvo) can be driven up to 43 kilometers on an electrical battery charge. Once the 9.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack's charge is depleted, the 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-in Hybrid's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged and supercharged engine provides a confident 320 horsepower. All models of the large premium crossovers are propelled through an all-wheel drive and equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission. For its introduction, the 2016 XC90 T8 Plug-in Hybrid crossover vehicle will come with a special standard technology making faster battery charging possible. The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine is billed as the first plug-in hybrid to include a standard 240-volt charger with the portable TurboCord dual charger system. TurboCord featu...

Last year in New York, BMW teased a concept of their X5 sport activity vehicle operating on a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Combining the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine using BMW TwinPower Turbo technology combined with an electric motor, the X5 eDrive Concept was one of many interesting ways to envision BMW's top crossover vehicle. Recently, a diesel-powered version of the BMW X5 was imported into North America allowing owners to explore greater distances between fuel stops. Less than a year since the X5 eDrive Concept debuted, the vehicle has been granted the production green light as the 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e. Employing a similar powertrain layout displayed on the concept, the 2016 model year X5 xDrive40e operates primarily on an electric power before relying on a gasoline engine for longer range driving. From concept to production, the BMW plug-in hybrid vehicle has undergone some gains as well as some loses. The one gain made with the showroom-ready version of the ele...