Province hopes to allow low-speed electric cars

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JOHN MAHONEY / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE The ZENN: coming here soon?

The Doer government is working with two other provinces on changing traffic laws to allow low-speed electric cars on the road, Environment Minister Jim Rondeau said.How soon those changes could come remains to be seen, but Rondeau said he's hoping as quickly as possible so Manitobans can buy and drive electric cars like those made by ZENN Motor Company of Ontario.

"We want to do it in a reasonable time period," Rondeau said. "We want to get it sooner rather than later."

Rondeau said the province is considering adopting similar legislative changes being made in Ontario and Quebec so that rules for slower-moving electric cars are uniform across the country.

Ottawa first opened the door to low-speed vehicles in 2000, but ZENN only received approval for its 100-per-cent electric vehicle from Transport Canada a year ago, following media reports and public outcry.

That decision left it up to individual provinces to decide whether they will allow the cars on their streets and whether to impose any restrictions. In Manitoba, officials are looking at changing the Highway Traffic Act.

The concern as outlined by Transport Canada is that it may not be safe to drive low-speed vehicles on streets that allow larger mainstream passenger vehicles.

The ZENN's top speed is 40 km/h.

ZENN officials note the car has been shown to be safe in the U.S., where it's allowed in many states.

They say there have been no fatal accidents, despite the thousands of cars on the roads. Others have said if traffic laws allow slower-moving mopeds and scooters on the road, why not electric cars.

In Canada, only British Columbia has regulations for electric vehicles, but they are restricted to highways with a speed limit of 40 km/h or less or municipal roads up to 50 km/h, but only if the municipality authorizes operation through a bylaw.

In Ontario, the province is looking into the viability of low-speed vehicle use on public roads.

In Quebec, the province announced in June a three-year pilot project to allow the legal operation of electric cars like the ZENN on public roads up to 50km/h.

Prince Edward Island is also looking into the viability of low-speed vehicle use on public roads, specifically for use in Charlottetown.

Rondeau said since the province started examining the use of electric cars in Manitoba they have found an ally in Washington D.C.

He said President Barack Obama's push for more fuel-efficient vehicles, to reduce America's reliance on oil and to reduce pollution, will only hasten the use of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 27, 2009 A9