Canada short circuits electric car sales
Mike De Souza, Canwest News Service
Transport Canada denies it of course, but Ian Clifford of Zenn Motor Co, is blaming them for the fact that he still cannot sell his electric cars here, even though he has been selling them in the US for quite a while. Something about the definition of low speed vehicles and crash worthiness exemptions or somesuch. Bureaucratic twaddle of course. For most things automotive we just accept the US standards – but add daytime running lights and speedos in km/hr. No doubt the US also had to co-ordinate federal and state requirements, since it is the states that look after the roads – and only the interstates get federal funding. Not that you can take a slow speed vehicle on a freeway of course. So don’t buy a Zenn if your commute takes you across the Port Mann or through the Massey tunnel.
Stephen Rees's blog 
British Columbia already allows low-speed electric vehicles on the road. They’re called electric bicycles and electric motorcycles.
http://www.straight.com/article-133923/its-full-speed-ahead-for-clean-electric-bicycles
Sungsu
March 17, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Stephen,
I am with VancouverIAM, a social media network in Vancouver and just completed a video about the NEV being allowed on the roads now. I interviewed a couple of members with VEVA.
Have a look at the video, see what you think.
Link
http://www.vancouveriam.com/videos/2b2eafca2458
Embed code
Sincerely,
Becky Gavigan
(604) 619 8758
Becky
October 15, 2008 at 11:52 am