Electric, hydrogen vehicles offer green bargain for transportation sector

Study looking at emissions suggests low-carbon fuel vehicles will offer increasing environmental advantages

Electric, hydrogen vehicles offer green bargain for transportation sectorIn 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…

Lexus UX 250h is a smooth, luxurious and sensible hybrid

This small SUV is aimed at urban drivers and those who keep an eye on fuel economy

Lexus UX 250h is a smooth, luxurious and sensible hybridIf 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…

2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge has power and poise

The XC40 Recharge is my favourite electric car. It’s easy to get along with and goes like a bat out of hell

2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge has power and poiseWe all know that electric cars are pollution-free, efficient, thrifty, ecologically sound and cheap to operate. But they can also be surprisingly fast. A video is making the rounds on YouTube and Facebook that shows a Tesla Model S going up against Corvettes, Vipers, Ferraris, etc., at a quarter-mile dragstrip – and leaving them all…

Auto odds, ends: Honda, Hyundai honoured for vehicles of the year

Kia has more electric offerings, Subaru has strong sales month, Nissan sets up American EV plant

Auto odds, ends: Honda, Hyundai honoured for vehicles of the yearTime for a few odds and sods from the automotive world. Vehicles of the year First up, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) just announced its choices for 2022 car of the year and utility vehicle of the year. The winners are the Honda Civic and Hyundai Tucson. Prevailing over 250 other entries, these…

Escape Plug-in Hybrid offers economy, style and driveability

Focused less on luxury and more on practicality – and excellent fuel economy

Escape Plug-in Hybrid offers economy, style and driveabilityFord may be out of the passenger sedan business but they’ve jumped into the hybrid/electric car market with both feet. The company has at least seven electrified models – mostly pickups and SUVs, but including the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, which doesn’t look like a Mustang at all. Right in the thick of it is the…

Winter tires should be mandatory across Canada

Good judgment on Canada’s streets and highways has gone the way of the dinosaur

Winter tires should be mandatory across CanadaI planned to write about a different issue this week but had a sudden change in plans, thanks to the (ahem) ‘expertise’ of Toronto drivers. Some of them, anyway. After a massive snowstorm last week, the city was hit with another five to 10 cm of snow on Monday. Far less than what we faced…

2022 Nissan Frontier is smooth, comfortable and driver-friendly

Powered by 3.8-litre V6 engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission

2022 Nissan Frontier is smooth, comfortable and driver-friendlyAlthough things have cooled down recently, Canada’s pickup truck market is still a going concern: at least one out of every four new vehicles sold in this country is a pickup truck of some kind. Manufacturers are falling over each other to get new models to market. They come in all shapes and sizes: from…

Mazda’s new electric MX-30 is strictly an urban car

Mazda claims it has a 160-km driving range, but don't push your luck

Mazda’s new electric MX-30 is strictly an urban carDepending on who you talk to, fully-electric automobiles are definitely in our future. Apparently, they will account for at least one-quarter of all new car sales by 2030. That number in Canada is around two per cent, but with the U.S. mandating that electric cars will make up at least 50 per cent of new…

The 2022 Kia Carnival SX proves minivans can be cool

Comfortable and quiet with all kinds of elbow room and easy-to-understand instrumentation

The 2022 Kia Carnival SX proves minivans can be coolAs of 2022, the Kia Sedona is no longer with us. In its place is the Carnival. While still a minivan, this is a different animal in just about every way. It’s larger, more luxurious, better equipped and more robust. The Kia Sedona was one of the first products to come out of the Kia/Hyundai…

Tuning out the Mazda CX-5 because of a stubborn radio

Performance is excellent. Lively acceleration, smooth power delivery and whisper-quiet in operation

Tuning out the Mazda CX-5 because of a stubborn radioI want to congratulate Mazda for fitting their 2021 CX-5 compact SUV with the most unco-operative stereo system I’ve encountered in 35 years of testing automobiles. It’s so difficult to access and use it might as well not be there. I couldn’t figure out how to change stations without having to consult the owner’s manual…