Road Test: 2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Despite being available for almost a decade-and-a-half now, modern gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles still make up only a few percentage points of new vehicle sales in Canada. For instance, the best-selling hybrid in Canada last year was Toyota’s Prius family. But with just over 7,808 sold — or about 1/15 […]

Top 10s: The most fuel-efficient hybrids for 2013

Story by John LeBlanc When Natural Resources Canada announced its top fuel-efficient new 2013 models, there were a host of pure-electric vehicles that sip no fuel at all. But not all new car buyers can afford the limited driving range and inconvenience of plugging in these EVs. For the rest of us, here are the […]

First Drive: 2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Story and photos by John LeBlanc SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. –  Each time Ford launches a new electrified vehicle of some kind, inevitably, rival Toyota takes a licking. Two months ago, Ford launched its new 2013 Fusion Hybrid sedan. And the American automaker’s media presentation was chock-a-block with references to how much better its hybrid sedan […]

Paris 2010: Is it the end of the car, as we know it?

Story and photos by John LeBlanc PARIS — Woe be the modern automaker. With a lingering economic recession, ever-tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations and a younger population that is more interested in their next cell phone than their next set of four wheels, the global auto industry is seemingly under attack from all sides.