Raise your hand if you have driven an electric car. What about one of the new hybrids? Well, thanks to Ford Canada, I have had the opportunity to do both.
Last week I was invited to the Ford Canada Power of Choice tour as it hit the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market, and I was pleased to be set up in a couple of cars to try them out for myself. I won’t attempt to review them here, as my time in them was relatively brief, but I enjoyed myself and was pleasantly surprised by both.
First up was the Ford Fusion Hybrid. I had a helpful companion by the name of Charles who took me through some of the basic information as I got settled in the car. Let me tell you first of all that the hybrid feels like any other car – in fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how stable it felt. It rode smoothly and had plenty of power as I accelerated and moved between residential road and freeway. It felt solid without being ungainly, and I would have been happy to keep driving. But before I knew it, we were headed back to the farmer’s market.
My second ride was in the Ford Focus Electric, with Graham in the passenger seat as a helpful guide. If you haven’t driven an electric car before, I urge you to do so just to listen to the quiet purr of a barely audible engine. Oh, I could get used to that. We went out for a quick spin, including freeway and a very bumpy residential road, and I was comfortable in the car for the entire trip. The car took the bumps well, without jarring, and I enjoyed the quiet ride. I had no issues with power or speed, and in truth it felt like I must be driving a bigger car. (Why did I think an electric car would feel lightweight? Hmm.)
Let’s take a step back for a minute. Why, yes, lovelies, I am writing about cars today. Have I before? No. But there’s something that feels different about this – after all, Ford and I go back a long way. Two of the cars we drove as a family as I grew up? Fords. Those two same cars I borrowed when learning to drive and first claiming my independence? Fords. Our beloved Explorer that we drove for twelve years until we had to sorrowfully bid it goodbye? Ford. My first standard transmission that I still remember driving alongside the river, thankful for long pretty drives to work? Ford. The vehicle that hauls our now larger, two-kid family? A Ford Expedition.
So to be invited to see what Ford is doing, in the present, and as we look to the future – well, that was just cool. And finding out more about hybrid and electric vehicles was really interesting. When we all first heard of them, they seemed sort of niche, didn’t they? Then over time, we heard more and more. We read articles, reviews, blog posts, and suddenly someone else’s niche became our possibility.
Interesting how things change over time, isn’t it?
I came home with my same affection for Ford vehicles, but a renewed interest in our options when we consider electric or hybrid alternatives. Someday, this might be the right choice for our family – and if it is, I have a feeling Ford will have been our inspiration. After all, Ford was the first to introduce a hybrid SUV – and if you know me, you know I love my SUVs. ; )
You can find out more about Ford online, and see what others are saying over at furtherproof.ca.
Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Ford “Power of Choice” event to learn more about what they are doing with innovative offerings for their customers. I was not asked to write this post, nor was I compensated to do so.
Recent Comments