Car FYI

Photo Credit: Tesla Inc. Having already achieved fame for inspiring the modern fully electric vehicle renaissance this century with passenger cars, Tesla Motors has set sights on converting their success into the commercial vehicle industry. First introduced in 2017, the Tesla Semi’s bold design and ingenuity makes the truck more than just a fully electrified transporter.   Being offered in versions with a range of 475 kilometers or 800 kilometers, the Tesla Semi boasts the credentials for being a one of the smartest, safest and comfortable Class 8 commercial trucks on the road. With the four electric motors mounted at the two rear axles of the vehicle, the Semi’s lack of the traditional engine compartment ahead of the driver helped Tesla conceive a front design resembling a cab over truck layout or a modern passenger train. With a 0.36 drag coefficient, the battery electric hauler’s unique shape is aided by an imaginative cabin layout.  Photo Credit: Tesla Inc. Placing t...

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: 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: 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...