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California is a road trip Mecca. Its Interstate 5, for example, stretches a massive 1287 km and takes an estimated 15 hours of uninterrupted driving to get from Oregon at the top to Mexico at the bottom. Along the way you can stop off at world-famous cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, or just cruise past world-class scenery ranging from deserts to mountains to beaches. Best of all – it’s all practically on Canada's doorstep, with an estimated 1.5 million Canadians visiting every year (making it the sixth most popular Canadian destination in America). Now tourism body Visit California has made planning a road trip there even easier, recently releasing the California Road Trip 2013-14 guide. As the September long weekend fast approaches and summer dwindles now is the perfect time to plan your last-minute road trip getaway. In fact, heading south to the States to explore it by road could even be doing your car some good.

Making Driving Across California Easy

The free California Road Trips 2013-14 guide aims to make planning road trips a breeze. It contains 12 different itineraries aimed at families wanting to do anything from outdoor activities to shopping to wine and dine experiences. The itineraries cover the breadth of opportunity and land that is California, starting with a suggested outdoor-centric Sun-Lover's Loop in San Diego County and ending with a meandering drive along the north coast dubbed Wild Waves and Big Trees. Visit California's chief executive Caroline Beteta said the guide not only highlighted the best routes for family recreation and fun but gave visitors the inside scoop on attractions. “California is the ultimate getaway for families from across the globe, as everything from beaches to snow and deserts to mountains are accessible in just a day’s drive,” she said. “By traveling our highways and byways, visitors can experience the incredible playground that is the Golden State.” Importantly the guide also includes a mileage chart with details on how far major destinations in California are from each other – an essential tool for a destination where 620 kms lie between two of its most popular cities (Los Angeles and San Francisco).

Taking Technology on the Road

For the tech-savvy traveller who doesn't leave home without their iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S4 or Nexus 7 tablet the new guide is designed to work in tandem with smartphones. All of its itineraries contain unique QR codes that take users to online itineraries made for smartphones, while the entire guide is also available for free download for those who prefer their books in digital form. Remember if you're heading south of the border and plan on using your mobile phone you'll need to be careful of roaming costs – which can quickly add up. For example Rogers and Fido charge $7.99 a day for access to 50mb of data while on the road, which won't get you far if you like to use your smartphone for anything other than simple text-only emails. 

If you’re on the road for longer and want to use the full spectrum of your smartphone and don't want to have to spend your days looking for WiFi hotspots, then you might want to consider getting a US SIM card. There are plenty of plans out there so take a look at what's available and choose the one that will best suit your adventure. Remember you'll need to get your phone unlocked to use a US SIM card, so it can be best to find out what getting your phone unlocked means for your plan and carrier before doing so. Visit California is also encouraging travellers to share their experiences with others road trippers via the #CARoadtrips hashtag on Twitter or Instagram – so get your data roaming sorted out and you could be sharing the best of California with countless others on the road as well as everyone back home.

Getting Prepared Before You Head Off

A guide to all the best attractions, drives and sites is obviously helpful, but before heading out on any extended road trip you always need to prepare a little more than you would for travelling by air. Getting your car fully serviced is the obvious and most important first step to take. No one wants to break down in the middle of the Nevada Desert. Putting together an emergency kit for your vehicle including medical supplies and a flashlight could prove vital if you find yourself in a difficult situation.

Familiarizing yourself with your route beforehand will also be beneficial. There is nothing more stressful than being lost in a foreign place at the end of a long day with a car full of exhausted travellers. While GPS units are easy to use and cheap – don't rely solely on them, because they can often let you down when you need them the most. Always bring maps and know how to use them. USA Today has a useful step-by-step guide to help anyone planning their first road trip, including ensuring your vehicle is appropriately covered. Bringing along non-perishable foods and a second mobile phone battery in case of mishaps and making sure you plan your overnight stays will come in handy. Don't rely on finding a motel to stay at while on the road. Remember a little planning before you leave can save you a lot of hassle down the road.

Getting There

Sitting on the west coast of the USA, California is most accessible for Canadians in the west. From Vancouver you can take the Interstate 5 all the way from the border through Washington State and Oregon, hitting the north tip of California after a couple days of steady driving. Calgary residents will need a few more days to hit California, cutting through the tip of Idaho, as well as Washington State and Oregon on their way. Expect to hit to northern California after two to three days of steady driving. 

Any further east and expect your trip to take upwards of three days filled with long drives. You may want to consider flying to the northern point of California and renting a car. Otherwise if you're on the east and have the time, hit the ever-changing extremes of the Great Northern route, aka US-2, which runs along the north of the US until it hits Seattle before heading south. Remember, the old adage that the journey is more important than the destination is never more true than for those embarking on a road trip.

Brussels, Belgium - At the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Toyota stand will be devoted entirely to Hybrids.

Only 16 years young, Toyota’s Hybrid portfolio counts no less than 23 models sold in 80 countries around the world. As of the end of July 2013, Toyota Motor Corporation has sold over 5.5 million Hybrid products. But this is only the beginning of the story. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Toyota will unveil further potential technology directions in the future of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles.

Yaris Hybrid-R concept

The Yaris Hybrid-R is an exciting concept car created as a clear showcase of possible ideas for the development of hybrid technology for maximum performance and increased driving pleasure. Based on the Yaris 3-door, the Yaris Hybrid-R concept hybrid powertrain combines the powerful 1.6l Global Race Engine (GRE) developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) with two powerful electric motors to provide an ‘intelligent’ electric four-wheel drive capability.

Just like in the TS030 HYBRID, the energy recovered during the braking phase is stored in a super capacitor, particularly suitable for a sports car because of its high power density and quick charge and discharge speeds. The result is a highly focused concept car dedicated to maximizing driving pleasure on road and on track.

Toyota Hybrid: Only 16 years old and already a world leader

Toyota has been researching and developing environmentally-friendly mobility solutions for over 40 years. As a result, the company has established a significant lead in the design and production of full hybrid powertrain technology. 16 years young, this technology has already made Toyota Motor Corporation a world leader with 23 full hybrid vehicles on sale in 80 countries and regions worldwide – four times as many as any other competitor.

Cumulative global sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids exceeded 5.5 million units at the end of July, with more than 83,000 hybrid vehicles sold in Canada.  This global fleet has already saved around 12 billion litres of fuel and 34 million tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to conventional vehicles.

Fuel Cell: Next-step towards the ultimate zero-emission car

Toyota believes that the solutions to energy and emissions issues offered by the Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) make it the closest technology yet to the ultimate zero-emission car, with hydrogen as an ideal, ultra-clean energy carrier. Before the launch of its production car by 2015, Toyota will display the latest status of its technology development.

Press Conference

The Toyota Press Conference will take place in Hall 8 Stand D19 at 12:45 on Tuesday 10th September.

Over the past number of months, Ford has been under scrutiny for their fuel-efficiency numbers on the C-MAX Hybrid. As they work on the 2014 edition, one of their focuses is to improve on their fuel-efficiency testing in order to achieve accurate numbers. 

According to United States numbers, the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid was rated at miles per gallon, which translates to a combined 5L/100 km in the city and on the highway. Strangely, the Transport Canada numbers have it rated at 4.0L/100 km in the city and 4.1L/100 km on the highway. 

The problem with those numbers is that for one they’re off from each other and secondly I achieved a 6.0L/100 km during a week of eco-friendly driving. Now I understand, almost all fuel-efficient tests are performed under controlled conditions in a laboratory, so most numbers are hard to achieve in real-world situations. 

Many new vehicles can simply get away with deflated numbers in most cases, because if fuel economy is not the main focus of the vehicle, no one really cares and they won’t end up being checked. Unfortunately for the C-MAX Hybrid’s case, the numbers were too far off from reality and the 4.0L number was significant for their segment. 

Toyota’s Prius has long been the leader of the hybrid movement and was one of the first hybrid’s mass produced in North America. Ford was coming close to their standards and competition is everything in this industry. Once the C-MAX Hybrid numbers didn’t add up – it wasn’t surprising that it became a story. 

In contrast, the 2013 Prius has an impressive rating of 3.7L/100 km in the city and 4.0L/100km on the highway. It’s hard to achieve those numbers and I can’t say that I’ve achieved a number in the 3s, but I can consistently get a number between 4.2-4.8, which is relatively close to the ones stated by Transport Canada.

In order to figure out the proper C-MAX Hybrid numbers, Ford is creating a new technique specifically for it. In the past, the Ford Fusion Hybrid was used to test out its fuel-efficiency for a family of vehicles, but now they will be testing the C-MAX Hybrid separately. It’s a smart move by Ford to change their practices and they’ve stated that the new 2014 model will result in a higher combined fuel efficiency rating of 4.5L/100 km. 

Additionally, Ford will be going the extra mile to please current C-MAX Hybrid customers by giving them a payment for the difference in the two labels. 

For more information on the C-MAX Hybrid and the other changes expected to it, below is the official press release from Ford.

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DEARBORN, MI – Underscoring its commitment to fuel economy leadership, Ford Motor Company today said it is upgrading the 2014 Ford C-MAX Hybrid, which will go on sale in December. The company also is changing the way it tests and labels the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid for fuel efficiency to better match performance and improve customer satisfaction.

The upgrades build on powertrain software updates Ford announced last month for the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid. The 2014 C-MAX also will benefit from several hardware changes, including:

-   Gearing changes that result in a more efficient transmission drive ratio

-   New hood seal, front and rear tire deflectors, A-pillar mouldings and the addition of rear lift gate deflectors to improve vehicle aerodynamics

-   New engine oil with reduced friction  

The enhancements to the 2014 C-MAX Hybrid are expected to improve customers’ on-road fuel efficiency, especially at highway speeds.

“Ford is absolutely committed to being a leader in the hybrid market and to top fuel efficiency across our lineup,” said Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company, group vice president, global product development. “We are taking actions with our popular C-MAX Hybrid so that customers are even more satisfied with the vehicle’s on-road fuel efficiency performance.”

The variability of on-road fuel efficiency is greater for hybrids than for conventional vehicles. Relatively small differences in driver behaviour and driving conditions can have a significant effect on the degree to which a hybrid’s gasoline engine is used for propulsion, which affects fuel efficiency. 

Changes to C-MAX Hybrid fuel efficiency labeling process

In addition to improving the vehicle itself, Ford is changing the way it generates the L/100 km label for C-MAX Hybrid going forward. Previously – and consistent with NRCAN’S Guidelines – testing of the Fusion Hybrid was used to generate fuel efficiency labels for a family of vehicles, including both Fusion Hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid. The result was the same fuel efficiency label values for both vehicles.

While the company could continue to use NRCAN’s Guidelines for C-MAX Hybrid, Ford voluntarily has decided to test and label C-MAX Hybrid separately going forward. The result will be a higher L/100 km label for the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid. Testing to generate a label for the 2014 C-MAX Hybrid is not yet complete. 

Label changes for the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid will result in a higher combined fuel efficiency rating of 4.5L/100 km.

Because this voluntary step results in L/100 km values different from the original C-MAX Hybrid label, Ford also is making a goodwill payment to current C-MAX Hybrid owners for the estimated average fuel cost of the difference between the two labels. Customers who purchased their vehicle will receive a cheque from Ford for $895. Customers who leased their vehicle will receive a cheque for $595.

As of July, Ford has sold approximately 1,000 C-MAX Hybrid vehicles in Canada.

Existing customers will be notified by mail, and Ford is working with dealers to re-label vehicles on dealer lots. Customers with questions can contact the Ford Customer Relationship Center at -   http://www.ford.ca/service/customerSupport/, or  call 1-800-565-3673.

OSHAWA, ON - General Motors is slashing the Canadian sticker price of the Chevrolet Volt as electric cars continue to lag behind their gas-guzzling peers.

The 2014 model of the Volt will start at $36,895, plus more than $1,600 in taxes and fees.

That's about $5,000 off the price of the previous model, which cost $42,000 before fees.

Earlier this month, General Motors knocked 13 per cent off the Volt's U.S. sticker price in a bid to keep pace with rivals in the market for plug-in vehicles. That brought the cost of the U.S. Volt to $34,995 including shipping.

Electric cars were once billed as the answer to high gas prices and dependence on foreign oil, but U.S. oil production has risen while pump prices have remained relatively stable over the past few years.

Plus, gas-powered cars have gotten more efficient, making consumers reluctant to give them up.

All of this has made it difficult for the popularity of electric cars to gain ground. Although sales of electric vehicles are rising, they still make up a small piece of the overall industry.

Automakers have been cutting prices in order to move the vehicles off dealer lots. Sales soared when Nissan reduced the price of its Leaf electric car in the U.S., something which one analyst said Chevrolet must have noticed.

The 2014 model of the Volt will make its debut in Canadian showrooms late this summer and will be available in two new colours, the company said.

"The lower price and cost savings offers Canadians the opportunity to own a Volt with an unmatched balance of technology, capability and cost of ownership," said John Roth, vice-president of sales and marketing for Chevrolet Canada in a statement.

"Since its launch in 2010, the Volt has seen an increase in battery range and the addition of creature comforts, such as standard heated seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel."