First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen e-Up!

Story and photos by John LeBlanc FRANKFURT — Initially conceived as a rear-engine, rear-drive city car, the first production Volkswagen Up! went on sale in Europe as a front-drive, two-door, four-passenger hatch two years ago. But Volkswagen always had bigger plans for its smallest car.

The Crank: Despite the awards, Chevy’s Volt hasn’t won anything yet

By John LeBlanc Without much effort, General Motors media materials will tell you that its new Chevrolet Volt gasoline-electric plug-in-hybrid is a “winner”. In fact, at this year’s Detroit auto show, the Volt was named 2011 North American Car of the Year, and before that, various American pubs (Automobile Magazine’s 2011 Automobile of the Year; […]

Preview: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

It’s alive! After an over four year wait, General Motors’ electrification of the car is finally driveable By John LeBlanc DETROIT—At the 2006 Los Angeles auto show, in a windowless and locked conference room, General Motors gathered a few select journalists. They had some big news for the upcoming Detroit auto show in January. And […]

2010 in Review: My Worst Driving Experience

[svgallery name=”2011_Smart_Electric_NYC_pics”] By John LeBlanc Range anxiety. It’s a term you’ve probably heard about if you’ve been reading Wheels recently. It’s the stress electric-vehicles owners experience due to the lack of real-car range from their EV’s batteries, and the lack of proper recharging stations.

First Drive: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive

[svgallery name=”2011_Smart_Electric_NYC_pics”] An EV for two How smart is it to go electric in ‘Benz’s ForTwo city car? By John LeBlanc BROOKLYN, New York – Driving in a large metropolis like New York City creates all kinds of anxieties when behind the wheel—maniacal cabbies, aggressive bike couriers, and wayward pedestrians, to name a few. But […]

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