Electric Cars in Ontario?

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by: admin on
Wed Jun 18, 2008 5:47 pm

According to the regulation, Electric Car Companies can not sell electric cars in Ontario, Canada as of yet.

You are however allowed to drive them. There is no law against driving them in Ontario, according to the OHTA.

"The problem, however, is that we can't buy one. Although the car is now available for sale in 48 US States, no Canadian government has approved it for sale in Canada. In fact, Queens Park refused to even entertain the idea until Al Gore cornered Dalton McGuinty earlier this year and insisted that he make it happen."

Check out this article:

http://www.blogto.com/environment/2007/ ... m_sell_it/
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by: Proper1 on
Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:12 pm

OK, thanks, admin. I guess the legislation (whatever it is) is aimed at the golf cart type vehicles: they're not outlawed because they're not powered by an internal combustion engine, but because they're too slow to blend with other traffic and/or don't offer occupants enough protection in a crash and/or fail to meet other safety requirements.

I don't see a minimum attainable speed requirement in the HTA, but it may be in some other legislation.

Maybe drivers of low-speed electrics could be charged under R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 132 (1), "No motor vehicle shall be driven on a highway at such a slow rate of speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic thereon except when the slow rate of speed is necessary for safe operation having regard to all the circumstances." But, still, we're seeing more and more of those "mobility scooters" on the roads in towns and cities, increasingly being driven in (or alongside) normal traffic, and I doubt those folks are getting ticketed very often, possibly because "the slow rate of speed is necessary for safe operation."

It will be interesting to see what happens when (and if) the Tesla Roadster or something like it starts showing up in Ontario. It's hard to imagine what existing legislation could block that sort of car (unless the powerful batteries were deemed to be explosives or dangerous materials under 112 (1)?).
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by: admin on
Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:16 pm

It seems to mostly be for safety reasons as some of them being produced are not considered since there is a legislation that forbids the use of low-speed electric vehicles in Ontario.

But here is an article that talks about a possible change to that:

http://www.wheels.ca/article/28744
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