Car FYI

Gold-wrapped Kia EV9 electric crossover vehicle (Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada 2024)  As is often the case, the warmer weather and the ample sunlight prove extremely inviting in 2024. With the season nearing in an end in Canada, I personally reflect on several months of satisfying events with automotive-centric entertainment. While occurring in early June, the 2024 Georgian College Auto Show captured the spirit for what would be experienced during the summer. First of all, I wish to share how this year’s summer had done a great deal to override a very unpleasant spring. The thing I’ve realized as I have lived more than four decades on this planet is bad things can happen to me but very few people actually care. In truth, we all go through moments of disharmony and for me I attempt to remain aware of this when I go through my own. I regret that this is not the attitude I receive from some people in this world I attract who are too selfish and ungrateful. At least one per...

Photo Credit: Mack Trucks In 1900, brothers Augustus and John Mack would set up a company that would immortalize their name as the generic slang for a heavy truck. One of the oldest-running brands in the commercial truck industry in North America, Mack’s popularity has been based around the production of gasoline and diesel vehicles that were instrumental in supporting our everyday lives. While Mack Trucks have served an integral role in working class life, the brand is also defined for its participation in vital yet unsung jobs including the chore of waste collection. The coldest truth is that many of us may not truly appreciate the mechanics of a machine used for the purposes of removing refuse. However, Mack’s latest LR Electric model may give us reason to admire the vehicle we ineloquently refer to as a garbage truck.  With pre-production models currently being demonstrated in New York City and by North Carolina-based Republic Services, the Mack LR Electric is a battery-powered...

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: Volvo Trucks North America Since 1999, Volvo Group and its passenger car brand that operated under the same name and logo have functioned as separate entities. While the Volvo car brand (now owned by China’s Geely auto company) has made a recent pledge to shift towards a fully electric lineup by 2030, their former Swedish parent has concocted their own electrified plans for the heavy truck market.  An extension of Volvo’s VNR lineup developed for the North American market, a fully electric version of the Class 8 transport truck. Retaining the modern, purposeful appearance of existing diesel-powered machines, the Volvo VNR Electric model range is created as short range hauler. For Canada, the truck is available in three configurations consisting of a 4x2 straight truck, 4x2 Tractor and 6x2 Tractor.  Paired with a two-speed I-Shift automated transmission, a potent electric drive system is installed in the VNR Electric line generating 455 horsepower and 4,051 lb-ft ...

Photo Credit: Chevrolet/General Motors Back in 2015, Chevrolet made a bold announcement confirming their first all-electric full-scale production car born from principles exhibited by the Bolt EV Concept . Relative affordability as a battery-powered vehicle as well as an operating range of 200 miles was among the key features advertised on the revolutionary product. Delivering on their interpretation of a zero-emission entry-level vehicle competing against the Nissan LEAF and Tesla Model 3 , the 2017 model year premiere of the Bolt EV has been followed by modest sales. After three years on the market, Chevrolet’s all-electric Bolt EV hatchback will go the extra mile (or extra kilometer in Canada) to win over new customers. For 2020, the Chevrolet Bolt EV will feature an extended range that is almost 10 percent greater than its 2019 counterpart. The updated 2020 Bolt EV will possess an EPA-estimated range of 417 kilometers (259 miles) on a single charge. Resulting in a range incr...