WomanOnWheels.ca

Think EVs don't need regular maintenance? Think again...

It's a common misconception with electric vehicles: because they don't need oil changes, they need little to no maintenance at all. That's simply not true. They don't need as much maintenance overall as a gasoline car, but they still need some, and items like tires may be pricey. Find out what you'll need to do to your EV in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

In Review: 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe

If you like the idea of an electric vehicle but range is an issue, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) might be the answer. Jeep now has one in the Grand Cherokee, with pluses and minuses - find out more in my review at Driving.ca.

What's going to happen with scrapped electric-vehicle batteries?

Electric cars are poised to be the future of transportation, but what about when they reach their end of life? Everyone's trying to figure out what to do with the batteries - and some governments are trying to mandate them on the folks who don't want them, while ignoring the people who do. Find out more in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

First Look: 2024 Cadillac Celestiq

Would you buy a $300,000-plus all-electric Cadillac? GM is counting on people doing exactly that as it introduces the 2024 Celestiq. Have a "first look" at it in my story at Driving.ca.

In Review: 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV

Of the smaller all-electrics available today, I really like the Chevrolet Bolt, and the EUV model I drove has more rear-seat legroom if you're hauling some friends along. Find out more in my review at AutoTRADER.ca.

How It Works: Electric vehicle battery cooling

Electric vehicle batteries generate heat, especially when they're fast-charging, and that heat must be dissipated to keep the batteries in top condition. How's it done? Find out in my "How It Works" story at Driving.ca.

First Drive: 2022 BrightDrop Zevo 600

Online shopping has changed almost every aspect of retail, including how the stuff you buy gets to your home. GM is introducing its BrightDrop subsidiary, which makes electric vans for couriers. I got a chance to pilot one - find out more in my story at Driving.ca.

In Review: 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge

Volvo has put an all-electric drivetrain into its XC40, known as the Recharge. It's a gorgeous car and great to drive, but not everything is perfect. Find out more in my review at AutoTRADER.ca.

Who will be left behind as automotive technology advances?

The auto industry seems to be moving at breakneck speed toward electric and autonomous cars, but not everyone will be able to come along for the ride. Who's going to be left behind? Read more in my opinion piece at AutoTRADER.ca.

In Review: 2022 Lexus NX 450h+

If you like fuel-free driving, but you're still a bit anxious about range, a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) could be the answer. Lexus now has its first, the NX 450h+. Find out more about it in my review at AutoTRADER.ca.

In Review: 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

I like plug-in hybrids: They have the fuel-free capability of an electric vehicle, but if you run out of power, they'll continue on for as long as they have gas in the tank. You can get the 2022 Toyota Prius as a plug-in, and find out more in my review at AutoTRADER.ca.

In Review: 2021 Kia Niro EV

Electric vehicles aren't for everyone - no vehicle is - but they're great to drive and will fit a lot of lifestyles. I got into the Kia Niro EV, and here's what I thought of it, over at Driving.ca.

First Drive: 2021 Ford Escape PHEV

Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) might be the answer for a lot of drivers: They offer all-electric mode, but without range anxiety. Ford adds a plug to its 2021 Escape for the first time - see what it's all about in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

Thinking about an electric vehicle? Here's what you need to consider...

Are you thinking about getting an electric vehicle? You need to consider all the factors that go into buying a conventional one -- features, comfort, etc. -- along with some EV-specific considerations as well. See what's involved in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

In Review: 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) may be the best choice for those who like electrics but need more range. A PHEV will run on its battery alone after you plug in it, but once that runs out, it'll keep going as long as it has fuel in its tank. Volvo has a few, including my tester, the XC90 T8. Find out more in my review at AutoTRADER.ca.

Long-distance driving in an all-electric Porsche

The big deal with electric cars is "range anxiety" -- when you're not sure if you're going to make it to your destination without running out of juice. Porsche put me in the new, all-electric Taycan and sent me from Toronto to Ottawa to see how it went. Did I get anxious? Find out in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

How It Works: Electric Vehicle Specifications

So you're reading about an electric car, and it's got a 160-kW motor, a 62-kWh battery, a 6.6-kW charger, and it gets 2.2 Le/100 km. And if none of that makes sense, you're not alone -- these cars come with a learning curve. Find out how to decipher all the specifications in my "How It Works" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

First Drive: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime

Toyota now adds a second plug-in hybrid to its lineup, the RAV4 Prime (alongside the Prius Prime). Plug it in and you get a stint of fuel-free driving before it reverts to hybrid operation, giving you the benefit of electric-only without the fear of running out of power. And it's a decent driver too -- find out more in my review at AutoTRADER.ca.

How It Works: Electric Vehicle Skateboard Chassis

Electric vehicles offer automakers new ways to put a car together, and one of those is with a skateboard chassis. The driveline components are integrated into it, and the battery becomes part of the floor -- making it easier to assemble and to use in as many vehicles as possible. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

GM's going electric, including bringing back the Hummer

At a no-cameras-allowed event earlier this week, GM showed off ten new electric vehicles, including two in the Hummer brand (yes, seriously, the name's coming back) that it says will be in customer hands within five years -- and it plans to sell a million a year by then. Find out more in my story at Driving.ca.

First Drive: Audi's Electric Torque Vectoring

Torque vectoring - sending more power to specific wheels to improve handling - isn't new, but it's usually done mechanically. For its upcoming e-tron S, Audi's doing it with electric motors. Find out more in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

How It Works: Regenerative Braking

On hybrid vehicles -- and even on some non-hybrids -- energy that would otherwise be wasted when slowing down or braking is captured and converted into electricity to help power the vehicle. Find out how it happens in my "How It Works" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

GM EV1: Not ready for prime time

California's zero-emission vehicle mandate of 1990 required major automakers to sell a percentage of electric-only cars if they wanted to sell anything in the state. Ford, Toyota, and Honda built some, but the best-known -- if perhaps for the wrong reasons -- was GM's EV1. It was leased to drivers, and then taken back and crushed when the leases ended. Find out more in my story over at AutoTrader.ca.

What electrified vehicle is best for you?

Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery vehicles -- what to choose? Find out how each electrified vehicle works, and if it'll work best for you, in my story at AutoTrader.ca.

The history of early electric cars

Automakers are offering several different all-electric models these days, but they're nothing new. In 1900, the best-selling car in the United States was powered by batteries. So what happened? It all traces back to a broken jaw...find out more in my story at AutoTrader.ca.

In review: 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf

It's a Golf car, not a golf cart. Volkswagen's all-electric does a great job of getting you around and without feeling much different than most conventional cars -- and that's exactly what some buyers want. (For the record, I drove a 2017 model, but it's unchanged for 2018.) Find out more in my review at the National Post.

First Drive: 2019 Jaguar I-Pace

It was only for a quick spin, but I got behind the wheel of Jaguar's new I-Pace, its all-new, all-electric model (no, I have no idea why the E-Pace is gas and the I-Pace is electric). Find out more in my story over at AutoTRADER.

First Drive: Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid

The Panamera E-Hybrid plugs in and gives you a range of electric-only driving, but it's not just for the "green" factor -- it's also to raise the fun factor by a significant level, and believe me, it does -- it's just ridiculously fast and fun. Find out more in my story over at AutoTrader.

How far does that electric vehicle go?

The biggest question for anyone looking at an electric car is just how far it'll go after it's plugged in. While much depends on such factors as driving style and ambient temperature, each vehicle has a range under Natural Resources Canada's regulations, and I've collected 'em all. Find out more in my story at AutoTrader.

Seeing the future at Movin' On

Want to ride on an electric bus or electric boat, see a wind-powered car, or a tire that can be 3D printed? It's all part of Michelin Movin' On, a three-day summit on mobility that presents all kinds of concepts for getting around -- some of them way out there, and some of them ready to go. It always moved around between global cities, but now it seems to have found its home in Montreal. Find out more in my story at the National Post.

Everything old is new again

Hybrid vehicles, fuel-cell hydrogen cars, fuel injection: all fairly new, right? Not so fast! It might have taken a while for them to catch on, but there are a few "modern" technologies that are far older than you think. See what they are in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

In review: 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid

Plug-in hybrids are the stepping stone between conventional hybrids and full electric vehicles: you can plug it in for a short period of fuel-free driving, but when that charge runs out, the car continues to run as long as you have gasoline. Hyundai now offers one in its Ioniq lineup; find out more in my review at the National Post.

What's in an electric vehicle battery?

Chemicals, minerals, and lots of other stuff that, depending on your viewpoint, might either solve many of our environmental issues, or hand us some new ones. Find out the differences between lead acid, NiMH, lithium-ion and other electric vehicle batteries in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Porsche is going all-electric

Will premium sports car buyers sidle up to a model that needs to be plugged in? Porsche thinks so, and next year will begin production on a sports sedan that's currently code-named the Mission E. It'll be followed by a sport-ute version, and from there, the sky might be the limit. Find out more in my story at the National Post.

And to make everything more complicated, it's being built in a factory that's being built in a factory. The new facility is an addition to the 911/Boxster/Cayman facility in Zuffenhausen, which is wedged between the town and the railway, and comes complete with a height limit and traffic issues. Find out how it's being done in my sidebar at the National Post.

Check out these flash-in-the-pan automakers

Putting together a car company is never a guarantee of success, and many of them did well for themselves before wobbling to their demise, but there were also several that barely stuck around long enough for the paint to dry. Check out some of the shortest-lived in my story over at AutoTRADER.ca.

Electric vehicle charging: What you need to know

Level 1, Level 2, Level 3: What are the differences? And why are there different levels? Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

In review: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid

It's not often people will ignore a Tesla to check out a minivan, but when I plugged in my Pacifica Hybrid, that's what they did. Find out more about this electrified people-mover in my review at the National Post.

GM's EV-1: What happened?

Some said it was cost and complexity, while others said it was a conspiracy, but for whatever reason, GM's EV-1 electric car came and went. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

Why BMW is going electric

At the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the only noise from BMW's press conference was the music: everything the automaker brought out on stage was powered by electricity. I had an opportunity to interview the company's global CEO about it -- find out more in my story at the National Post.

How do electric vehicles work?

There's a battery and there's a motor, but how do they work together to get you where you're going? Find out more in my "How It Works" column over at the National Post.

How does a hydrogen-powered fuel cell car work?

It's actually an electric car that makes its own power while it's driving. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

What's the future of sustainable mobility?

No one knows for sure, of course, but there are a lot of people working on it, and I met many of them at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Chengdu, China recently.

It's a regular meeting-of-the-minds, held in cities around the world, where participants learn about new technologies, drive new advanced vehicles, and discuss the issues and how they might be solved. Find out more in my report over at the Toronto Star.

Fuel-efficient cars: Do you know all the terms?

Hybrids, extended-range, plug-ins, direct injection ... there are all sorts of new technologies to improve fuel efficiency, and there are so many that it can be confusing. Cut to the chase with my explanation over at the Toronto Star.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV: All electric and lots of fun

Yes, it has its down sides, including a dated dash, and thumbing for a ride if your battery runs out. Despite that, I had a great deal of fun with this little all-electric runabout. Read all about it in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

Three days with the all-electric Nissan Leaf

I had the use of an all-electric Nissan Leaf for three days. I'd specifically booked it for December, to see how it behaved in cold weather, although the temperature remained unseasonably warm. Even so, it was interesting to bring home my first all-electric car for daily driving. The verdict: it's a hoot to drive, but yes, there is such a thing as range anxiety. Read all about it in Autos.ca by clicking here.

Electric vehicles: The future is challenging

 Some of the major automakers aren't just telling us about electric cars, they're putting them on the showroom floor. None of that comes without challenges, though, especially when it comes to keeping them charged.

I visited the EV 2011 Conference and Trade Show in Toronto, where I got to drive several of them and learn more about the electric future. You can read all about it in Autos.ca by clicking here.

Chevrolet Volt: It's the real deal

I read the good and the bad, I drove it a few times at low speeds, and while it seemed okay, I wasn't really sure if GM's slow-to-market Volt would be anything more than an expensive oddity.

Then I drove it, in the city and on the highway, on battery power and with its gasoline engine making electricity, for a day. It's still expensive, but it's no oddity. It's a very well-done car that does everything GM said it would. Maybe it even is the future of the auto industry. Read all about it in Autos.ca by clicking here.

One million electric vehicles by 2015: Not as long as gas is cheap

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new report, One Million Electric Vehicles by 2015, which backs up President Obama's stated goal of ... well, guess how many EVs will be on the road by what year. The report says that the goal is "ambitious" but "achievable." Of course, I wouldn't expect the report to conclude anything else, but I'm not buying it, not the way it's written. I'm certainly no expert, but I'm not seeing it.

First, there's the o'er-the-ramparts-we-watched aspect of it. "This is a race America can win," says DOE secretary David Sandalow, "if we answer the President's call to out-innovate, out-build, and out-compete the rest of the world."

Sure, you need the all-American aspect of it to lead the troops, and I'm the first to say that a country only becomes strong when it has a solid manufacturing base. America needs to build these vehicles at home. But as soon as you make it a race to beat everybody else, you've severed your ties with the people who can help you. The Japanese were building viable hybrids when American companies were still trying to figure out four-cylinder engines. Why start at the very beginning, when you can work in conjunction with people who know what they're doing? Contrary to popular redneck belief, Nissan won't be sending every penny it makes on the Leaf back to Japan. That cash will stay in Smyrna, Tennessee where the car will be built, going home with the workers, going into the local tax coffers, working its way into the community.

Getting plant capacity up to one million electric vehicles isn't a problem, the report says, and it's correct on that. We can probably pop out many more than that every year. What we can't do as easily is find people to buy them. So the government is offering a rebate of up to $7,500 on each one, and offering grants to communities that prioritize electric vehicle deployment.

The problem is that the government won't do the one thing that is needed to advance the deployment of electric vehicles - raise the price of gasoline. Because that will be political suicide, and everyone in Washington knows it.

Why do Europeans buy little cars with little engines? Because gasoline costs a fortune over there. As long as gasoline is cheap, people will buy the relatively inexpensive vehicles that use it, rather than the relatively expensive vehicles that don't. People do the math. If the premium on that electric or hybrid car is more than what it saves in fuel, most won't buy it. Despite the whole "green" movement, and sending children to school to learn about rain forests, and putting cans out to the curb for recycling, most people will put their coins ahead of their carbon footprint. If a car costs too much, it doesn't matter how little it spews out the exhaust pipe, if it has one at all.

I wonder what One Million Electric Vehicles by 2015 cost to produce. I could have saved them a bundle and written it up in the time it takes to say it: If you want people to buy alternative vehicles, raise the price of gas until it's worth their while. Sure, there will always be people who buy Volts or Leafs because they're cool and techy and neat. But as long as gas costs less than bottled water, it will be a long, long time, if ever, before you find a million of those folks willing to open their wallets.

Electric vehicles: Get to know your local dealer

There's an interesting item out on the news wire today from research firm Frost & Sullivan about hybrids and electric vehicles. In the chicken-and-egg situation that greets almost all new technology, it seems that OE dealers may be keeping their hands on these cars long after the warranty's up.

More than 40% of independent garages surveyed said they aren't equipped to service hybrids, while almost 60% can't fix or maintain electric vehicles (and those numbers are low enough that I'm suspicious about the ones who said they can). And since hybrids make up less than 3% of market share each year, no one's really running out and spending the time and money to learn all about them. Very importantly, the aftermarket parts companies - the ones that make the less-expensive components that most of us buy when the dealer wants three times their price for OEM - aren't tooling up to make hybrid- and EV-specific parts.

When the Prius was young, my friend and colleague Brian Early took a test-car version to a Toyota shop and had to show the guys there how to start it. All new ideas have to start somewhere and build gradually, but I think the early adopters may well be in for a somewhat bumpy ride. 

Chevy Volt and fuel cells: Electric power to the people!

I had quite the glimpse into the automotive future yesterday: I had the opportunity to drive both the Chevrolet Volt and Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle in Vancouver.

I'll be officially reporting on the Volt in print shortly, but in the meantime, suffice to say that even for a short spin around Stanley Park, it was exciting to be at the wheel, just to get a look at what's coming. It's fun to read about technology, but it's even better to get a hands-on chance to experience it.