15 replies to this topic

[Ms. B. Havin]

I think I'm going to have an aneurism, seeing Oak Bay described as a city, but there you have it -- our balkanization is paying off, we can be each others' suburbs, I guess...

Oak Bay's expected to become first city in Canada to let electric cars on streets
Draft bylaw will allow the low-speed vehicles to be driven freely there
Lena Sin, The Province
Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008

The City of Oak Bay, just a hop away from Victoria, is expected to become the first Canadian city to unleash slow-moving electric cars onto its streets. (more...)

[Rorschach]

I'd sure like to have a plug-in Toyota Prius. I'm sure the verbiage is just for readability rather than going through a long winded explanation of the CRD. Journalism isn't what it used to be.

[G-Man]

^ Also the title is misleading as you can already have an electric vehicle anywhere in BC. This is only referring to vehicles that cannot go over 60 kmh.

[Baro]

Oak Bay already has thousands of vehicles that seem totally incapable of going over 45 let alone 60, I don't see what the big deal is.

[VicHockeyFan]

Bah, electric cars just mean we'll burn more coal.

North America:
Electricity Generation by Type, 2000

[Baro]

That paltry 18% will have to come up to about 75% if we'll have any hope for the future. Well, a future with vehicles and electricity and air pollution under Beijing standards

[aastra]

50 km/h, Oak Bay risks becoming an electric-car island, with its drivers stopped at the border.

So how do the cars get into Oak Bay in the first place if you aren't allowed to drive them through Victoria or Saanich to get there? Do they deliver them to your door?

And let's not overstate the risk. Most people (cops included) don't even know where the borders are! Are they really going to give you a ticket for parking in the Saanich lot at Camosun College because you should have parked in the Oak Bay lot?

"The question is whether people will actually say, 'I only need a car locally,'" said Causton.

It's a tough call because at one time or another you just know you're going to have to waste an afternoon making a trip out to some far-flung destination...like the Safeway at Fort & Foul Bay. Or the stores along the Victoria portion of Oak Bay Avenue.

[VicHockeyFan]

It's a tough call because at one time or another you just know you're going to have to waste an afternoon making a trip out to some far-flung destination...like the Safeway at Fort & Foul Bay. Or the stores along the Victoria portion of Oak Bay Avenue.

Or the liquor store. People need liquor. Don't they?

[Mike K.]

Electric vehicles and not a single gas station within it's borders. Conspiracy? I think so.

[yodsaker]

Oak Bay already has thousands of vehicles that seem totally incapable of going over 45 let alone 60, I don't see what the big deal is.

Vehicles are ok, operators often less so. Addled, tranked, scared shitless, take your pick.

[Jacques Cadé]

FWIW, the bylaw passed at the Oak Bay council meeting tonight. I was told that Quebec passed a province-wide bylaw on Friday allowing low-speed EVs, so OB is not the first government in the country to permit the cars. But Quebec only allows them on roads with speed limits of 40 km/h, while OB allows them on roads with limits up to 50 km/h – which apparently covers every street in the municipality.

LSEVs are legal. Now all you need is the $16,000 to buy one. Plus another $1000 or so for insurance from ICBC. I like my bicycle.

[VicHockeyFan]

But Quebec only allows them on roads with speed limits of 40 km/h, while OB allows them on roads with limits up to 50 km/h – which apparently covers every street in the municipality.

I guess the definition is the thing, UNDER 50 or UP TO 50.


http://telegraphjour.../article/360220


ST-JEROME, Que. - They're arriving in a trickle, not a flood, but low-speed electric cars are allowed on some Quebec roads as of last Thursday.
Ryan Remiorz/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Paul Lefebvre inspects one of the electric cars at the Zenn plant in St. Jerome, Que. north of Montreal. Quebec announced last week that two Quebec-made electric-car models will be authorized to use roads with speed limits below 50 kilometres per hour.

It's part of a pilot project run by the Quebec government to encourage development of the silent, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Two companies - Nemo, based in Quebec, and Zenn, headquartered in Toronto - can operate their vehicles on roads in Quebec with speed limits under 50 km/h. They must also be outfitted with an orange triangle denoting a slower vehicle.

Ian Clifford, Zenn's CEO, says the project is an idea whose time has come as prices at the gas pumps drain consumers' wallets.

[Jacques Cadé]

My understanding is that the BC regulation only allows the vehicles on roads with speeds "under 50" too, but there's a clause allowing municipalities to tweak that number if they see fit. So Oak Bay upped it to include 50 km/h roads as well.

[Jacques Cadé]

Hmm, the TC this morning says the bylaw only passed third reading last night, and that final reading won't be until August 18. I'll check.

[Jacques Cadé]

OK, the TC is right: you can't officially drive a low-speed EV in Oak Bay until the bylaw passes final reading on August 18.

The current draft of the bylaw says this:

2. A person may drive or operate a neighbourhood zero emission vehicle on any highway within the Municipality that has a speed limit of over 40 kilometres per hour but no more than 50 kilometres per hour.

3. The authority conferred by Section 2 is in addition to the authority under Section 24.07(3)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, B.C. Reg. 26/58, as amended, for a person to drive or operate a neighbourhood zero emission vehicle on a highway that has a speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour or less.

[Newlywednotnearlydead]

When this takes effect, I'm picturing the blue hair brigade from Oak Bay driving their golf carts straight off the Uplands golf course and onto Caddy Bay Road to get home...

In the grand scheme of things, I think electric vehicles are a great thing though, particularly if we use green sources such as hydro and wind. As a cyclist, I'd love not having to breath in tailpipe fumes.