BC Communities Welcome Electric "Green" Cars

Following the trend to be green and sustainable, local governments around British Columbia are starting to approve the use of Low-Speed Vehicles (LSV) for travel on their streets.

LSV’s, also referred to as Neighbourhood Zero Emission Vehicles (NZEV), are electric vehicles that are permitted to travel at a maximum speed of 40 km/h. While the vehicles can, in fact, perform to a maximum of 60 km/h, Transport Canada has deemed the lightweight vehicles do not have the safety standards to travel at the same speed as regular gas-powered vehicles.

Once banned on streets in BC, recent changes to the Motor Vehicle Act have allowed local governments to take another look at this alternative mode of transportation. The Province changed the Act on July 1, 2008 to include the provision that the vehicles are permitted on roads that have a speed limit of 40 km/h or less, and that municipalities may pass specific bylaws allowing the LSV on all roads that have speed limits of no more than 50 km/h within its boundaries. (Motor Vehicle Act- 24.07) 

The Act stipulates that the LSV may cross a highway that has a speed limit of 80 km/h or less, as long as the vehicle continues along a road where it is authorized to travel. Some municipalities are even considering restricting the travel of electric vehicles to the right-hand lane only, unless making a left turn.

The District of Oak Bay was the first municipality in BC to adopt the appropriate bylaw (see Oak Bay’s bylaw) on August 18, 2008. Other municipalities soon followed, and now Colwood, Esquimalt, Vancouver, Burnaby and most recently Qualicum Beach have joined in to add these green vehicles to their streets (see Qualicum Beach’s Press Release). The issue is now on the table in other communities across the province, including Whistler, Saanich, Summerland and Port Coquitlam.

Problems can arise with these environmentally friendly vehicles if they cross municipal boundaries. On that note, the Capital Regional District has agreed to forward to its member municipalities a model bylaw that would permit the travel of these vehicles between municipalities with ease.

The LSV movement in BC follows other similar ones in Ontario and Quebec, where various pilot projects are in place to investigate the use of these vehicles.

For more information, please see the following:

Neighbourhood zero emission vehicles (24.07) - Motor Vehicle Act
Bylaw No. 4421 - District of Oak Bay
Bylaw No. 635 - Town of Qualicum Beach
CRD speeds municipalities' electric-car adoption - Times Colonist 
Low-speed electric cars get OK - Burnaby NewsLeader 
Green-light for electric vehicles in Colwood - Goldstream News Gazette
Interest sparks in electric cars - Summerland Review
Electric cars legalized in Vancouver - CBC
Oak Bay allows electric cars on streets - Times Colonist
Slow down & plug in may be future in PoCo - The Tri-City News