Vancouver gives green light to electric cars on city streets

[raggedy13]

From today's Globe & Mail:

Vancouver gives green light to electric cars
Becomes first major Canadian city to allow the zero-emission vehicles on city streets

FRANCES BULA
Special to The Globe and Mail
September 27, 2008

Vancouver is about to become the first major Canadian city that allows manufactured electric cars on its streets.

That has local electric-car enthusiasts predicting that the city's aggressive leadership will produce a rush to buy electric cars and spur manufacturers to push harder on developing and producing new models.

"Absolutely this is going to result in people buying and driving these cars here," says Don Chandler, president of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. "Vancouver has been very active on this issue and the grassroots swell of interest here is amazing."

B.C. is already home to three manufacturers or importers of what are technically called "neighbourhood zero-emission vehicles." Between that and the interest from buyers and affiliated industries, the province is a small hub of electric-car activism.

Until now, the only city in Canada that allowed manufactured electric cars on its streets was Oak Bay, B.C., which passed a bylaw during the summer that made them legal to drive on city roads. In general, where they are allowed in other cities, they've only been permitted in gated communities or restricted areas such as airports.

Vancouver is set to approve a bylaw next week that says the cars, which Transport Canada has said must not be driven faster than 40 kilometres an hour, can be used on any street where the speed limit is 50 kilometres an hour or lower. That means, for all practical purposes, they can be driven on every street in Vancouver. Bridge speed limits are 60 km/h an hour, but city staff are discussing lowering that limit so the cars can be driven everywhere within city boundaries, says Vancouver sustainability planner Brian Beck.

The city has recently started requiring all new single-family homes to have electric-car plug-ins built in. City staff are also looking at a similar requirement for new multi-family housing and at providing "opportunity charge points" around the city, in parking lots and on the street, similar to what is available in London.

City council members are eager to approve the staff recommendation when it comes to council next week. Mayor Sam Sullivan said he believes it's a smart move for the city to start investing in infrastructure that supports electric cars.

Councillor Suzanne Anton, who tried to buy an electric car last year but couldn't find one for sale, said she "absolutely" supports the move.

Vancouver police have expressed some hesitation about traffic safety because the electric cars will be restricted to lower speeds than the gas-powered vehicles around them. Electric cars can actually go faster than 40 km/h, but aren't allowed to by Transport Canada regulations. That's because of concerns about the safety of the vehicles, which have not gone through the same crash-testing as standard cars.

Mr. Beck said that he doesn't expect a flood of vehicles right away because it's so hard to find one to buy, but Vancouver's move does send a significant message to the car-manufacturing industry. It also helps add to what he calls "the perfect storm of conditions" encouraging electric-car development, with both gas prices and concern about climate change skyrocketing.

London is considered the leader in promoting electric-car use among industrialized cities, with more than 1,000 electric cars now estimated to be in use there.

[wrenegade]

Everything sounds good except the lowering of speed limits on bridges. Increase the safety requirements of the electric vehicles and don't punish everyone else. Especially since so few of these electric vehicles will be on the roads.

[mr.x]

40 kms/hour on a bridge??? Are you kidding me? The speed limits in this city are already ridiculously low.

[raggedy13]

^Well they only need to lower it to 50 km/h to allow electric cars to legally drive over. I'd say people drive over 60 on the bridges now as it is (especially Granville) so people probably won't drive any slower even if the speed limit is changed and I doubt the new speed limits would be enforced all that strictly. Also, I'd imagine that most people with electric cars will drive faster than 40. Do you think a cop would really pull somebody over for driving 50? Or even 60? Sure the City will lower the speed limit on paper but without the corresponding enforcement nothing will really change, which is realistically how I imagine things going.

[agrant]

What's the logic in limiting them to 40? I'd say that'll cause more trouble rather than prevent any.

[zivan56]

^^ Apparently they can only be sold/insured/legally used if they are limited to 40 km/h (hence not being able to use 95% of public roads = no need to crash test). Otherwise, they have to pass crash tests.

[agrant]

Originally Posted by zivan56

^^ Apparently they can only be sold/insured/legally used if they are limited to 40 km/h (hence not being able to use 95% of public roads = no need to crash test). Otherwise, they have to pass crash tests.

No crash tests???? What's the logic in that? Seriously.

[jlousa]

It doesn't really matter, we will be seeing real electric vehicles within a couple of years that meet crash standards and are completely legal. None of this grey market stuff. There are a couple of models out now but meet the crash standards but it's still a niche market. By 2010 we will be seeing numerous models of electric vehicles on the road. This current bylaw ammendant is more about appearances then anything.

[Dave2]

> Bridge speed limits are 60 km/h an hour, but city staff are discussing lowering that limit so the cars can be driven everywhere within city boundaries,

Just leave the limits alone, thanks....

They lowered the limit on the Georgia/DUnsmuir Viacuct to 50 km/h, not that anyone payed attention..

And the Dunsmuir viaduct was cut down to 2 lanes, though it looks like they may restore the 3rd lane in the future...construction activity on the north side at Beatty seems to be wrapping up.

[Metro-One]

I Don't even want to comment on this bad idea (about the speed limits) oops, i just did!

[SpongeG]

i've seen one driving around new westminster for months now

i wonder if its been driving illegally :O

it's one of the Dynasty ones made right here in BC

seemed to fit in with the traffic that was crawling along 10th avenue
would be great as a commuter car

i mean come on who here zips through traffuic at more than 50 anyway - you're lucky if you can get past 50 on most days in rush hour

[lightning]

so to clarify.. no manufactured electric car is allowed to drive more than 40km/hr?? what about imports? i've had my eye on the Th!nk city from Norway for a while now.. sounds like a good ev

From their site

TH!NK city is a modern urban car. With zero local emissions and an energy efficiency three times that of a traditional combustion engine car, it is a car for the environment. And it is a fun car for you. A choice of sodium or lithium batteries allows you to accommodate your car to your driving style, travelling up to 180 kilometres in one charge, with a top speed of 100km/h. Driving a silent car will give you a totally new experience.

[jlousa]

That car is not legal in Canada, so the only option you have is to wait 15yrs then you can bring it into Canada legally, or you can import 3 and donate 2 to the federal government for crash testing, should it pass then you can legally drive the third one.

Or bring it in under grey market loopholes and you can drive it on private property, the issue you'll face is trying to buy insurance for it.

[officedweller]

The obvious solution is not to lower the bridge speed limits, but create a carve-out in the authorizing bylaw so that the cars can cross the bridges located within the City of Vancouver. (i.e. name them in the bylaw, there aren't many of them).
"Electric cars are restricted to roadways having a speed limit of 50km/h or less, except that electric cars may be driven on the Burrard Bridge, Granville Bridge, Cambie Bridge, Georgia Viaduct, Dunsmuir Viaduct [and Terminal Ave. Viaduct]."

Another example of City Councillors not thinking.

[ravman]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Another example of City Councillors not thinking.

its called the NPA lol

[Coldrsx]

i could see this being applied to downtown only but to include bridges is stupid.

[officedweller]

There are enough lanes on the bridges to pass a slow moving car. You have to do that for cyclists on Cambie and Granville.

[Hong Kongese]

Electric cars championed in Burnaby

By Chris Bryan - Burnaby NewsLeader

Published: October 24, 2008 4:00 PM
Updated: October 24, 2008 4:40 PM

Burnaby's Denis Lang dreams of a day when people will be able to drive electric vehicles anywhere within the city.

And he's also sunk his life savings into the hope of one day opening nine electric car dealerships nationwide.

But for now he'll have to wait.

Though the provincial government has approved low-speed electric vehicles (LSV) for use anywhere in the province, it's been left with the municipalities to decide if and where they will allow them on their roads.

Part of this stems from the fact Transport Canada limits LSVs to 40km/h because they have not gone through the same crash testing as conventional gas-powered vehicles, and Ottawa and the province was concerned about liability in the case of crashes.

But Oak Bay and recently, Vancouver, passed resolutions allowing LSVs on their streets in zones where the speed is 50km/h or lower.

Lang recently appealed to the remaining city councils in Metro Vancouver, including Burnaby, to consider following suit. Burnaby council asked its staff Oct. 9 to look into the matter and report back.

John Stonier, spokesperson of the Burnaby-based Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association(VEVA), said his group supports cities helping to get LSVs on the streets.

But he said his group sees LSVs as a subset of electric vehicles that has limited application.

Ideally, he'd like senior governments to take another step and allow vehicles to that travel up to 60km/h, or medium-speed electric vehicles (MSV), which would let people drive virtually anywhere in the city. It's something allowed in many U.S. states, including Washington and Montana.

And on a broader scale, the big automakers need to make the shift and take advantage of their economies of scale to produce electric vehicles for the masses.

The reason LSVs are limited in speed is because they are produced by small companies that cannot afford the crash safety testing that can cost in the millions. For large companies, that money is petty cash, Stonier said.

That said, he said the pending launch of the GM Volt electric car (in 2010) is good news. This vehicle will be electric and have a range of 65 kilometres before either a plug-in is needed or a gas generator inside the car recharges the battery.

Stonier said for the most part, the big companies have been loathe to produce a high-speed electric car on a large scale because electric cars require very little servicing—something big companies are dependent upon for the bottom line.

"As soon as consumers know how electric cars work... consumers are going to demand electric cars," he said. "And the only companies that survive are going to be the ones with electric technology."

There are many misconceptions about electric cars, he added. Many people don't know that the first cars built, about 105 years ago, were electric. As well, some of the fastest cars in the world today are electric, because this type of power delivers more torque.

"Electric vehicles are a huge win for consumers and a huge win for the environment."

Meantime, Lang's frustration is evident when he talks of the restrictions the cars face here, noting that there are currently 45,000 of them being used in the U.S. where there are dozens of dealerships.

When asked what he would've done differently in hindsight if he'd known the challenges he'd face getting the cars allowed on B.C. roads, he said with a laugh, "I wouldn't have quit my job."

[SpongeG]

scooters are also not allowed to use bridges

i forget what the CC is but there is a minimum CC that they scooters must be in order to use bridges