British Columbia to allow low-speed electrics on low-speed streets
Neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) are about to get their status upgraded in British Columbia. Currently, NEVs are lumped with tractors in the slow-moving vehicle category which means, like tractors, they can drive on public roads with speed limits up to 50 KPH (31 MPH) as long as they have an "overhead amber light" and a large orange triangular sign displayed. Oh, and the four-way flashers must be blinking just for good measure.
New legislation this Spring will impact potential drivers of these vehicles (like the Zenn car pictured above) in two ways, according to an article in the Times Colonist. First they won't have to be decked out like tractors and second, they will be allowed on any road in the province with a speed limit of 40 KPH (25 MPH) and on some roads with a 50 KPH limit if it is in a municipality that will allow the higher limit. That may be good for electric-car friendly cities like Saanich but not so good in Victoria, where Mayor Alan Lowe believes that NEVs could impact traffic flow and might "cause even more greenhouse-gas emissions by putting on your brakes more often."
[Source: Times Colonist]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Karl 12:19PM (4/13/2008)
Manitoba too
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvBaAlRvCgot6Aya_WD-yikDmgew
Reply
Kevin Nugent 1:22PM (4/13/2008)
Fair enough . that is true if a electric car can only go 31 mph drivers will either swerve around them or do as said brake and thus just waste more gas . But to me neighbor hood vehicles don't have to be so crappy they could use technology like the Chevrolet volt. Just improve on it a bit . Get 70 miles per charge and then when needed a generator kick in to boost range to 600 miles or so . Its too simple
Reply
Mark 3:36PM (4/13/2008)
As a Manitoban, I would be down at the nearest dealer selling these in a second.. if they were to go at highway speeds.
Reply
GenWaylaid 6:52PM (4/13/2008)
I don't know how things are in British Columbia, but here in the U.S. the road network is not arranged for traveling at those (slow) speeds. The reason everyone uses major 45-55 mph streets or highways to go anywhere more than a mile away is that using slower streets usually either requires an absurdly complex route or is impossible.
Reply
ds 9:33PM (4/13/2008)
I don't know of any roads in Vancouver that have a 40 km/h speed limit, even neighbourhood streets are 50 km/h. My neighbour has an IT nev, and I've seen it driving down a street with 50 km/h limit, and a huge line of cars behind him. I'd rather ride my bike, that would be so stressful with all those people behind him. Probably why he's been trying to sell it for months. We need NEV that do 60 km/h.
Reply
George Krpan 10:40PM (4/13/2008)
On the mean streets of LA these would be like a lost wiener dog in a sweater in coyote country.
A good electric bicycle would be better. It doesn't have to be ridden out in traffic like a car does.
The trouble is, is that there are no good electric bicycles currently available.
Reply
Wave54 12:59AM (4/14/2008)
Unfortunately, I agree with the posters above that the speed limit is just too low to safely drive on most streets. If the regulation was increased to allow a maximum of 50 mph, it would allow you to drive on most secondary roads in urban areas without being terrorized by even the smallest cars available now. A Corolla would look huge in the rear-view mirror of a ZENN.
Reply
Jeff Windatt 1:31PM (4/15/2008)
I agree with the idea of bikes.. NEV's should be able to drive 60km/h and on roads with 50km/h speed limits..
I have recently test ridden an electric assist bike and have put in my order. Check it out at www.bionx.ca
A great product.
Jeff
Reply
Coldcitydweller 5:23PM (5/16/2008)
Since I've been aware of the ZENN whenever I'm driving around Toronto now I'm checking my speedometer and the reality in this city is that despite the fact that most roads have a posted speed limit of 50km/hr, the average car is going between 20km/hr-40km/hr 90% of the time. At Christmas I even drove back from the airport right to where we live downtown on regular city roads avoiding the Gardiner/427 because there was a blizzard. So in a city like this you can go far enough on these kinds of roads.
Also, people who talk about drivers having to "swerve" around the ZENN to get past it, I have to say -WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? You'd have to be coming up behind one at about 80km/hr! 40km/hr is not that slow. Somebody walking on the sidewalk is going about 4km/hr, bikes 10-15km/hr. 40km/hr is fine for urban driving.
Anyway 40km/hr is a REGULATED speed. They could go much faster if the government would let them. So why not petition the government to let them go at least 50km/hr just to appease those people who think a 10km/hr difference is such a big deal.
And save some Canadian jobs for a change at no cost to the taxpayer!
Reply