Tag: ev

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FLO to double Canada’s public fast-charging ports with $220m CIB loan commitment

Canada’s Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has invested $220m in FLO, a Quebec City-based electric vehicle (EV) charging network operator, to build over 2,000 “ultra-fast” charging ports in public places in the next four years, with its primary focus being the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The chargers are set to be distributed at about 400 sites across the country, generally located on busy highways and travel corridors, as reported by The Toronto Star.

FLO aims that its chargers would charge most EVs to 80 percent in 15 minutes, potentially easing “range anxiety” for Canadian drivers and increasing EV adoption. “We’ve been around for almost 15 years now, we’ve demonstrated the ability to give great service and we know what we’re doing,” said Louis Tremblay, FLO CEO, in a statement given to The Toronto Star. “We’re going to try, through our process, to well serve that market (the GTA) that we strongly believe in the long run will be the biggest market.”

The company has about 23 percent of the Canadian EV charging market share, and already owns more than 90,000 charging stations across North America, mostly in Canada. The investment from the CIB is its first from a dedicated EV charging fund, and will double the number of public fast-charging ports in Canada.

Ontario has been slower to adopt EVs than Quebec and British Columbia, but FLO sees potential in the Greater Toronto Area. Tremblay added that FLO will make location decisions based on several factors, including deep data the company has collected from its existing network.

Image credit: FLO

Source: The Toronto Star

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Volkswagen reveals new electric sedan coming to Canada in 2024

Volkswagen recently unveiled its newest electric vehicle, the ID.7 Sedan, with plans to bring the car to Canada by 2024.

The ID.7 will be the German car manufacturer’s first all-electric vehicle in the upper-middle class and the company’s third fully electric passenger vehicle to come to the Canadian market, following the ID.4 SUV in 2021.

Volkswagen has also confirmed that the North American version of the sedan will be manufactured at the Volkswagen Emden plant in Emden, Germany.

The all-electric car will launch in China and Europe later this year in two versions, the Pro S trim with an 86 kWh battery and the Pro trim with a 77 kWh battery. The Pro S houses a motor that can go up to 200 kW, and the Pro trim can fast charge up to 170 kW.

Both trims offer 282 horsepower, with the Pro S having a superior range of around 700 kilometres compared to the Pro’s projected range of 615 km.  The company says the ID.7 is “suitable for long-distance travelling and fleet customers.”

Apart from having two different trim levels, the ID.7 hosts some exciting features for an all-electric, including a panoramic sunroof that can switch from opaque to transparent glass via touch or voice command.

Additionally, the sedan comes with an improved version of Volkswagen’s Travel Assist system for hands-free driving. It now features ‘Swarm data’ to better predict objects around the vehicle.

Combined with lane change assistance and Park Assist Pro, now with an adaptive memory function, the ID.7 is loaded with technology-infused features.

Volkswagen ID.7 marks another EV from the company, with the car being the sixth fully electric vehicle to join its zero-emission lineup. 

Although there are currently no pricing options for the sedan, the model is set to arrive in Canada in the back half of 2024.

In addition to the ID.7, Canadians will be introduced to Volkswagen’s all-electric microbus, the ID. Buzz in 2024.

Image credit: Volkswagen

Source: Volkswagen Via: Electric Autonomy

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Tarform unveils official renders of jet ski EV concept dubbed ‘Raye’

Electric vehicles (EVs) are quickly gaining popularity and becoming more common on the roads, but New York-based EV company Taraform has its eyes now set on the water. The company has revealed official renders of a EV watercraft called the ‘Taraform Raye.’

The Raye is a concept being tooled around Taraform and is inspired by the manta ray. Taraform clearly has a fondness for the creature as the Raye not only draws its name from the ocean dweller, the EV watercraft has a unique design that draws from the curves and form of the manta ray. Taraform claims that the Raye will be made using recycled carbon fibre or its proprietary plant-based composite.

“The Tarform Raye is an electric jet ski that combines biomorphic design, plant-based materials, and modular technology,” Taraform states on its website. It goes on to claim that the vehicle may be able to achieve a top speed of 80km/h (roughly 50mp/h). The Raye is said to come in two different power and range configurations. Power output is estimated to be from 70 to 120hp. Two battery options are also on the table, providing one or two hours of run time.

However, Taraform has yet to build the Raye as of yet. Currently, the vehicle is still in a conceptual state. Even the design and visual aesthetic are subject to change. At the time of writing, Taraform aims to target a starting price of $68,000 USD (around $93,401 CAD). With this in mind, many of the other specs are under wraps as Taraform seeks to begin the development of the watercraft.

In 2022, Taraform started fulfilling orders for its futuristic-looking EV Luna bike. Much like the Raye, Taraform created a line of Luna bikes that balance elegant design with comfort. The Luna’s fulfillment came after four years of showing off the conceptual designs of the vehicle. Perhaps this is an indication of the Raye’s development timeline? It’s possible that by 2027 we’ll see Raye skimming across the water.

This year, Taiga launches its first electric watercraft, the Orca, which is showed off at the Toronto International Boat Show this year. Comparatively, the Orca can reach up to 104km/h (around 64mp/h) and can produce up to 120kW.

Taraform states that no launch date for production has been set for the Raye.

Image credit: Taraform

Via: Electrek

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Turo’s SK8 mini ice resurfacer brings the Canadian dream to your front door in Toronto

Peer-to-peer carsharing app Turo is launching a very Canadian rental service for its SK8 mini ice resurfacer. Over the course of the winter, those in the Greater Toronto Area can use Canada’s largest car-sharing platform to book a four-hour window with the SK8. During this time, the tiny Zamboni can be used to turn their neighbourhood rink into professional-quality ice.

Turo’s SK8 is made in Canada thanks to a partnership with Porta Ice, a company based in Calgary. Porta Ice has been able to take the traditional ice resurfacing machine and scale it down for something more portable and usable for everyday drivers. Best of all, the Turo SK8 is fully electric and has a battery life of around 10 hours.

Turo has tapped Canadian professional ice hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin as the ambassador of the project. Poulin is an Olympic and three-time World champion with the Canadian national team. She has won three gold medals, including one in the recent 2022 Beijing games. The SK8’s $29 booking fee is a direct reference to Poulin’s jersey number, 29.

“Most people can’t believe how tiny it is,” Poulin tells MobileSyrup. “This mini ice resurfacer can come to your backyard and give you perfect ice. I feel every kid wants that in their life! Especially when you play hockey for fun or even for a living. So it’s always good to have so it’s awesome to see. It’s pretty sharp.”

In a hands-on demo of the Turo SK8, I was able to sit in the hot seat and live out one of the most common Canadian dreams — driving a Zamboni. Thankfully, Turo and Porta Ice not only scaled down the size but controls. The SK8 has a streamlined turnkey start-up. There is only one pedal which controls both the acceleration when pressed down and brakes when easing up on the pedal. The steering wheel is well-proportioned. There’s also an onboard switch to control whether you navigate forward or in reverse.

Much like a traditional Zamboni, the Turo SK8 has a thin blade on the back that shaves the ice. It then applies a thin layer of water from the back. An attached resurfacer towel then ensures the water is dispersed evenly and freezes smoothly. There are onboard controls to raise and lower the blade when you’re not driving on the ice. And yes, I’m also happy to report there’s also a horn.

Turo SK8In terms of driving, the Turo SK8 is surprisingly smooth and quiet. Despite not being a traditional electric vehicle (EV), the ice resurfacer doesn’t really make a sound outside of scraping the ice. Steering is exceptionally smooth after a moment of getting a hang of the acceleration. The front tires of the SK8 can easily catch and slide on the ice if you’re going too fast. Once I got a hang of steering, though, I could see how easy resurfacing a smaller rink could be.

“Whether it’s a spacious SUV to hit the slopes or the latest EV to experience a longer test drive, or, now, a resurfacer that turns your backyard into a professional ice rink, Turo offers an unparalleled selection of vehicles available to Canadians,” Cedric Mathieu, the vice president and head of Turo in Canada said. “Turo is proud to make transportation more fun and accessible in over 700 cities across Canada and we are thrilled to offer local communities a truly unique experience by introducing the Turo SK8, a first of its kind on our platform.”

Starting now, those in the GTA can book a Turo SK8 rental via the company’s website or app on iOS and Android. After successfully booking, Turo actually delivers the SK8 resurfacing machine directly to your door. Following this, the machine can then be used for a four-hour window to resurface a backyard or neighbouring ice rink. The Turo SK8 is available to book for $29. For each booking, Turo is donating and matching all proceeds to KidSport. This charity focuses on supporting financial assistance to children and associating costs of sports registration fees and equipment.

Toronto bookings are available now and slots are available through March 4th. The company has announced that availability in Montreal is “coming soon.” For further terms and conditions on bookings, see the Turo website. Alongside the SK8, Turo offers a selection of over 800 EVs for bookings.

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Electric Ford F-150 powers home for days in Canadian snowstorm

After a heavy winter storm hit southern Ontario and parts of Quebec around December 25th, one lucky home could keep the lights on via the power from a Ford Lightning.

Reddit user RapFanLJ posted a picture of his truck online, saying that he ran two extension cords from the truck to power the fridge, Wi-Fi, TV and select lights for two days during the storm. Then after the 44-hour outage, the truck still had 65% left in the tank.

While other EVs can achieve similar feats, the Ford Lightning is uniquely equipped for this since it has a maximum of 11 outlets and 9.6 kW of power between them. There’s also a bigger 240-volt outlet in the bed of the truck. Other cars like the Ioniq 5 only have one outlet inside the car, and drivers need a pricey adapter to get power outside the car.

That all said, this proves the usefulness of EVs, and in the future, this could be extremely helpful as storms get more intense and power outages get more frequent.

Source: RapsFanLJ Via: Electrek

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Hyundai’s 2024 Kona looks like a smaller Ioniq 5

Borrowing design cues from Hyundai’s popular electric vehicle, the car maker’s new Kona 2024 bears a striking resemblance to a smaller, and hopefully cheaper, version of the Ioniq 5.

The compact SUV, which is also available as an electric vehicle (EV), features a full-width LED headlight strip running across its entire front end and an Ioniq 5-like indent on its side, giving the car a far more aggressive look than its minor 2021-2022 redesign. On the rear, a pixelated backlight runs across the back of the car, sticking with the futuristic look the front offers and borrowing even more from the Ioniq 5’s look.

Hyundai says that the new Kona is 4.25m in length, making it 150mm longer than the 2023 version of the car. The vehicle is also slightly wider at 25mm in width with a 60mm wheelbase and 19-inch wheels.

On the inside, similar to the Ioniq 5, the 2024 Kona also features 12-inch touchscreen displays and, at least in the EV version, ample interior space. A sportier version of the car in Hyundai’s N line is also on the way.

Given how popular the Ioniq 5 has been for Hyundai, it’s not surprising that its recognizable design language is trickling down to the company’s other vehicles.

It’s unclear how much Hyundai plans to charge for the 2024 Kona, but if it can hit a price point between the $33,395 the standard version of the car costs/$44,599 starting price of the EV and the $48,999 the Ioniq 5 costs, it could be a huge seller.

Image credit: Hyundai

Via: Car and Driver

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MobileSyrup’s EV Gift Guide [2022 Edition]

Electric vehicle (EV) sales have been on the rise for some time now, with a global spike in gas prices. In my home province of Nova Scotia, EV adaption has seen exponential growth. With nearly every car manufacturer entering the EV space, we will only continue to see EV adoption climb. However, perhaps you or someone in your life already has an EV or will be taking ownership of one soon. In that case, as always, MobileSyrup has your back with a holiday gift guide!

Although Teslas currently make up the majority of electric vehicles on the road, this gift guide aims to provide you with ideas for an EV owner of any brand. I also avoided including large purchases like Tesla charging adapters and EV home chargers. While these do too make great gifts, I want this guide to have reasonably affordable items that people will rationally give.

Here’s MobileSyrup’s 2022 EV gift guide:

Safety Gear

While no one ever wants to be stranded on the side of the road, accidents and emergencies happen. Although there are some excellent premade emergency kits, I recommend using the Federal Government’s “Get Prepared” emergency car kit website as a guide to making your own.

Safety is something many of us often either ignore or forget about. So, giving someone the gift of safety is a wonderful idea. Three specific callouts: a car emergency escape tool, LED road flares and a first aid kit. In the event of an emergency, a car emergency escape tool is used to cut your seat belt and shatter your windshield when you need to escape the vehicle.

For the possibility that you may be broken down on the side of the road at night, LED road flares help to keep your vehicle noticeable until help can arrive. A first aid kit is meant to be there, ready and waiting to address a cut or injury. Amazon has lots of options for all three of these items.

Order a car emergency escape tool two-pack for $14.99 or a four-pack for $21.99

Order the HOKENA five-pack of LED road flares for $50.99

Order the Oziral compact first aid kit for $35.99

De-Icer

Canadian winters can really suck. During my first winter owning a Tesla Model 3, I discovered the pains of stuck door handles and frozen windows. It’s almost like these cars were designed in California…Regardless, I also discovered a magical product called de-icer.

Many EVs and premium vehicles have fancy door handles or frameless windows. So, grabbing a can or two of de-icer is an excellent stocking stuffer. Spraying a little (or a lot) of de-icer thaws these components quickly, making the winter slightly less inconvenient.

Order a 500g container of Rain-X windshield de-icer for $11.99 on Amazon

MagSafe Car Mount

This next one is exclusively for iPhone users. Specifically iPhone 12 and above models that support MagSafe. While many excellent regular car mounts are available, MagSafe is really in a league of its own in terms of functionality, style and convenience.

For Tesla and Ford Mustang Mach-E drivers, Spigen makes a stylish iPhone mount that adheres to the rear of your vehicle’s display. Spigen sells two versions of their iPhone mount; a charging variant capable of charging up to 7.5W and a non-charging version.

For all other EV owners, take a look at Belkin’s MagSafe car mounts that attach to the vehicle’s AC vents. Belkin also makes two versions of their mount; a charging variant that supports charging up to 15W and a non-charging version.

Order Spigen’s non-charging MagSafe car mount for $44.99 or their charging mount for $49.99, both on Amazon

Buy Belkin’s non-charging MagSafe car mount for $49.95 or its charging mount for $139.95, both from Apple

Hand Vacuum

Our vehicles have a habit of becoming a gathering place for dirt. Before buying an EV, I didn’t care much about my car’s appearance. But now, I like it to be presentable at all times. A hand vacuum is an excellent item to help keep your EV clear year-round. It makes for a small accessory to quickly suck up crumbs and dirt without needing to haul out a larger vacuum.

Order a cordless hand vacuum on Amazon for $35.99

Microfibre Cloths

Microfibre cloths are a staple in the tech community, and now that many EVs have touchscreens, it makes sense to keep one or two in the car. Touch screens and glossy interiors, like what my Model 3 has, get smudged so quickly. Keeping a microfibre cloth on hand is nice to promptly wipe those prints away.

Order a two-pack of 12 x 24-inch microfibre clothes on Amazon for $14.49

Repair Tools

In many respects, EVs are giant electronics. These following two items are great gifts if the person you’re buying for is a do-it-yourself-er. First is the 64-bit iFixit Driver Kit. IFixit is best known for its smartphone repair tools. However, these tools are also great for working on your EV. Over the summer, I swapped out my Model 3’s air filters and unexpectedly needed a unique screw bit. Thankfully, My iFixit tool kit was there to help me out.

The 64-bit iFixit tool kit features sixty-four unique screwdriver bits, a metal screwdriver handle, and a flexible bit extender.

Second, we have automotive trim removal tools. This five-tool kit is used to remove and pry parts and trim off of your vehicle to conduct repairs or parts swaps. Included in the kit are four plastic pry tools and a metal one.

Order the 64-bit iFixit driver kit for $59.99 and the automotive trim removal tool for $11.34

EV T-shirt

Who doesn’t enjoy showing off their personal style through clothing? So, of course, you can purchase t-shirts to express your love for electric vehicles! A seller on Etsy sells t-shirts and hoodies with an icon of the J-1772 plug. Colours include black, navy and dark heather. Tesla sells a wide range of apparel on their website, including t-shirts and sweaters.

The J-1772 t-shirt is available on Etsy starting at $34.21, and Tesla t-shirts are available on its website starting at $40

Car Trash Bag

Whether from fast food packaging or empty drink bottles, our cars sometimes become mini landfills. A small gift you can give this holiday is a car trash bag. Femuar’s car trash bag is leakproof and is available in six different colours and patterns. This bag attaches one of the front seats and measures 9.25 by 5.25 by 10.75 inches.

Order Femuar’s car trash bag on Amazon starting at $19.99

Pet Liner

We all love our pets. However, you probably don’t love their fur. As a loving dog owner, I can say that my dog sheds like a monster. That’s why I recommend a pet liner for the back seat of your EV. Avoid the EV from being covered in drool and fur by grabbing a pet liner.

Order a pet liner on Amazon in either black or grey for $39.99

Tesla Charger Lock

Most EV owners agree that it is just poor EV etiquette to unplug another driver while they’re charging at a public station. Yet, sometimes this still does happen. Sadly, this is a more significant challenge for non-Tesla EVs. While Tesla has a built-in locking mechanism to prevent unauthorized detachment while charging, this is still an issue while using an adapter. A nice small gift to give a Tesla owner this holiday season is a charger lock for charging at a J1772 charger to prevent unauthorized unplugging.

Order a charger lock on Amazon for $11.99

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

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GM opens Canada’s first full-scale EV plant in Ontario

The GM CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, is the first full-scale electric vehicle (EV) plant in Canada, and it’s making electric delivery vehicles for DHL and other companies.

GM has been on a mission to re-tool the CAMI plant for EVs since May 2022, from making Equnoix crossovers to the new Brightdrop Zevo 600 delivery vans. This is GM’s fastest rework of a plant and ideally means that others can be refurbished in less than a year.

If you’re asking yourself, “what is Brightdrop?” you can find more information in our previous coverage. That said, the short of it is that Brightdrop is GM’s branding for electric logistics solutions, including delivery vans or warehouse tools.

Once the plant reaches full scale, it should produce around 50,000 EVs annually. Then, once production starts picking up for the Brightdrop delivery vehicles, there are plans to build the smaller Zevo 400 in the factory.


This is a notable achievement for Canada since it helps solidify our EV manufacturing supply chain on the world stage. At the event, Prime Minister Trudeau mentioned that over the past few years, Canada has moved from 5th in the world to 2nd in terms of battery supply chains. With a company like GM willing to revamp a plant in Ontario, it sets the stage for other automakers to follow suit.

Canada’s vast mineral wealth, new refinement factories and now EV assembly workforce will be hard to ignore as more automakers look to step into the world of electric vehicles.

For the Canadian workforce, that’s good news, as CBC reports that 400 people currently work on the assembly line, but the plant could scale up to as many as 1,600 by the end of 2023 if things go well in the coming months.

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Mercedes limits speed behind $1,200 USD subscription

Mercedes has joined the bandwagon of terrible car-based subscription plans alongside the likes of BMW’s heated seats, in-car nav and Siris XM radio.

The new Mercedes ‘Acceleration Increasse’ subscription costs $1,200 USD (roughly $1,607 CAD) annually and shaves 0.8-0.9 seconds off the car’s 0-60 mph time in Dynamic mode. This subscription unlocks more power already available in the Mercedes-EQ EQE and the EQS electric vehicles.

The update page on Mercedes’ website suggests that the upgrade will come to all EQS EVs the company sells, but the “performance boost at a glance” section only mentions the 350 and 450 trim lines. The more expensive, and faster, EQS 580 isn’t on the list. This suggests the subscription brings the slower models up to par with the flagship, but even that isn’t the case.

The top-of-the-line 580 has a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds. The slower 450 can only be upgraded to hit a maximum speed of 4.9 seconds. So if you care about speed, you’d still need to shell out the cash for the 580 anyway. In Canada, the 580 is the only trim model Mercedes sells, so Canadians won’t have to worry about this yet, but I’d expect pricing like this to show up soon.

This update is strange not only because it just unlocks something already in the car, but because it’s such a minimal upgrade. Sure more torque is fun, but the cars already have rapid acceleration, so charging over $1,000 to get just under a second shaved off your drag time seems like the most foolish investment ever. Maybe if you loved taking your EV to the dragstrip, you’d shell out for it, but the market the Mercedes targets seems less interested in quarter mile times.

The upgrades are also worded to sound like it changes the driving characteristics of the car and more interestingly, might allow drivers to adjust their own “motor characteristic curve, torque and maximum output.”

Source: Mercedes

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Tesla wants its proprietary EV connector to be the new North American standard

If you don’t have a Tesla but are an electric vehicle (EV) owner, your car likely takes advantage of the current North American standard Combined Charging System (CCS). On the other hand, the Elon Musk-owned EV company utilizes a proprietary J1772 charger that only works with its own vehicles.

Now, Tesla wants its J1772 connector to become the new standard for all EVs and has renamed it North American Charging Standard (NACS) in an effort to encourage EV charger platforms like Flo and Petro Canada to offer the formerly Tesla-exclusive port at their charger locations. The company has gone so far as to make the port’s design and specification files publically available to download.

Tesla says that its NACS charger features “no moving parts, is half the size, and [is] twice as powerful” as a CCS charger, followed by mentioning that its Supercharger network offers “60 percent more NACS posts than all the CCS-equipped networks combined.” The press release ignores the fact that Tesla has a massive 10-year lead over other EV competitors in the space regarding the number of its vehicles on the road and its substantial charger infrastructure.

The release also says that “network operators already have plans in motion to incorporate NACS at their chargers,” but doesn’t mention any specific charging networks.

Back in November 2001, Tesla launched its “non-Tesla Supercharger pilot” in several countries around the world, allowing non-Tesla electric vehicle drivers to use the EV maker’s charging stations with their vehicles through a CCS charger. Unfortunately, Canada isn’t included in this pilot project.

As legacy car manufacturers like Hyundai and Ford take the EV market more seriously with their respective vehicles like the Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla’s stranglehold on the burgeoning space is rapidly shrinking. For example, Hyundai and Kia (which the latter company owns) hold 15 percent worldwide EV market share (excluding China). Given most of these vehicles already feature CCS ports, it’s unlikely they’ll change direction and bend to Tesla’s will.

In other Musk-related news, the billionaire continues to push Twitter into persistent chaos with nonsensical decisions regarding the platform’s verification system.

Image credit: Tesla

Source: Tesla