Although it may be a while before electric vehicles begin to make a serious dent in the sales of conventional combustion-driven vehicles, environmental concerns mean there are more options becoming available than ever before (and we don’t mean the Waverley Electric either).
One of the latest examples is the ZENN (Zero Emission, No Noise), produced by the ZENN Motor Company of Toronto. The ZENN is a completely electric vehicle that has a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph), and a range of 56 km (35 miles). The two-seater, which retails starting at $12,500, can be charged simply by plugging it into a standard home 110-volt power outlet.
Because the top speed of the ZENN is only 40 km/h, it is officially classified as a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) and thus requires special licensing and registration. In Canada there are federal regulations, and provincially BC has passed LSV legislation.
For the right type of driving scenario, this could be the perfect vehicle. The fact that the car retails for as low as $12,500 makes it very affordable, especially relative to the cost of hybrids (The Toyota Camry Hybrid, for example, retails new for ~$30,000).
Cars like the ZENN, and the high-end Tesla, are literally on the bleeding edge of electric vehicles. As battery technology improves, and as manufacturers find new ways to incorporate the latest weight and energy savings technologies into these vehicles, there will be more of them.
Perhaps the most important observation that can be made is that ZENN Motors is an example of a Canadian company that is literally embracing the problem of climate change. They are demonstrating that we can not only solve the climate problem, but we can also make a profit while doing so.
The Chinese have already recognized this and are not only exporting electric vehicles to North America, but plan to build and export a lot more.
This is precisely the type of development direction that the Harper government should be encouraging and touting, rather than the negative economic spin they are currently trying to attach to the cost of controlling climate change.
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