The Toyota Mirai feels like any other upscale electric car
Back in the ’80s and ’90s, when alternate fuel technology was at a fever pitch, one of the possibilities that seemed the most promising was hydrogen power. It’s clean burning, abundant, and fuel efficient, and a slew of manufacturers, including Mazda, BMW, and Toyota, spent enormous amounts of time and money pursuing the idea of…
The Kia EV6 will be popular as Canadian drivers make the move to all-electric vehicles
The first dedicated all-electric vehicle from Kia is the EV6. Designed from the ground up as an electric-only vehicle, the EV6 shares a platform with corporate relatives, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Genesis GV60. Although these three models have some related underpinnings, they each are distinctive. The Genesis GV60 is ultra-luxurious, the Ioniq 5…
Volvo has a lot riding on the C40 as it begins the transition to offering only fully electric vehicles by 2030
Volvo’s first pure electric crossover is the Volvo C40 Recharge P8 AWD. Although it’s a new model, the C40 shares many components with the boxier XC40 Recharge all-electric model. There are two main differences. First, the C40 is electric only, while the XC40 is available with either a gas engine or an all-electric powertrain. Also,…
The GV60 has plenty of unique features that put it well above its Hyundai and Kia relatives
The first Genesis model with a dedicated all-electric platform is the GV60, a high-end compact crossover. Genesis is the luxury brand for Hyundai. While the GV60 shares some underpinnings with the related Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6, it has plenty of unique features that put it well above its Hyundai and Kia relatives.…
Student clubs offer a taste of what it means to work together on a multifaceted design project
Engineering clubs are created by students and for students. They provide a sandbox that lets future engineers make new things, sometimes starting with mistakes. COVID-19 jeopardized the clubs, but they’re coming back strong and punching above their weight. “It’s not something that you expect a group of students to take on because of the technical…
Improving charge capacity could offer big advantages for manufacturers and consumers
Cruising down the highway in an electric car, who wouldn’t want to squeeze a few hundred extra kilometres out of a single battery charge? University of Alberta researcher Jasper Woodard is hoping to achieve just that. He’s working to improve a particular component in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs) – and everyday…
Here are facts for Canadians forced to face the real-world impact
The marvellous Christmas movie The Polar Express, starring the inimitable Tom Hanks, ends with the words “anything is possible, if you only believe.” Except, as adults understand, many things aren’t possible, not even if some people do believe them. An obvious example is the fantasy that the 84 per cent of global energy supplied by…
But if you really want one, be prepared to shell out the cash
The writing is on the wall. Electric cars are here to stay, becoming more and more abundant. There are at least 16 models available in Canada, and most of the major car manufacturers have something on offer. Hyundai has two fully electric models: the Kona and Ioniq 5. Kia – owned by Hyundai – has…
Study looking at emissions suggests low-carbon fuel vehicles will offer increasing environmental advantages
In the drive to transition from conventional gasoline engines to low-carbon fuel vehicles, those that run on rechargeable batteries may have the edge – at least for a while. Battery electric vehicles are forecast to make up the largest number of low-carbon fuel vehicles on the road by 2050, University of Alberta research shows. A…
This small SUV is aimed at urban drivers and those who keep an eye on fuel economy
If you’re in the market for an electric car, you might have to cool your heels for a bit. With the soaring price of oil, increasing scarcity of battery components and supply chain issues, the waiting time for models like the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Chevrolet Bolt, Kia Soul, Tesla and others can be up…