Canada’s most populous province is finally following the lead of British Columbia and Quebec in permitting low speed electric vehicles (LSV’s) to be driven on public roads.  Canada’s LSV class is based on the Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle class in the U.S., where 44 states permit their use (as of May 2008).

However, Ontario vehicles and their drivers will likely face additional regulations meant to address safety concerns raised in a government study released at the end of November.

“LSVs are a new kind of vehicle and it will take a new set of standards to allow them to be safely driven on Ontario roads,” said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley.  “Based on the study results, we plan to announce LSV safety standards and the rules of the road for LSVs this winter.”

The study recommends the province require a number of additional measures for the vehicles and their drivers, such as:

• daytime running lights (failing that, drivers must keep their headlights on at all times)
• a notice affixed to the exterior of the vehicle indicating its maximum speed
• a slow moving vehicle sign
• three separate sound warning devices: horn, proximity warning system for pedestrians/cyclists, backup warning systems
• defrosting and heating systems
• three-point seat belts
• requirement that buyers sign a “Notice of Limitations” document at the time of sale that explains
  what the LSV’s performance and safety limitations are
• prohibition against carrying infants and children who require infant or child seats
• restricted to drivers with G class license or higher (ie. no new drivers in Ontario’s graduated licence system)
• no towing of any type of trailer
• on multi-lane roads, the LSV must drive in the right lane, except if making a left turn
• … and more (see NRC study pdf, below)

Both the federal and provincial governments have been under some pressure by the public and media for apparent foot-dragging on the issue of approving for sale and permitting this vehicle class on public roads.

Additional information:

Ontario To Permit Low-Speed Vehicles – Government of Ontario

Safe Integration of Electric Low Speed Vehicles on Ontario’s Roads in Mixed Traffic (pdf) – National Research Council of Canada

Image: Audin

Okay, they won’t be your grandpa’s old 50cc Super Cub like you see in the picture, but Honda and Yamaha are both planning battery electric motorcycles that will have the performance of their current 50cc bikes without using a drop of gasoline.

Yamaha plans to release their bike in 2010, which seems to be the year of the electric car already. Details are scarce, but the bike should have an impressive 62 mile range, and will probably cost a pretty penny compared to its gasoline-powered counterparts.

Honda, on the other hand, will be releasing their bike in 2011 with a target range on 31 miles. They are hoping that the Japanese post office and other fleets that do deliveries will take to the electric bikes in order to reduce costs and pollution associated with shipping.

Details are scarce, but we’ll keep you updated. Would you buy one?

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Not only is it electric, but it’s a DIY Landspeeder! Does it get any better than that? Daniel Deutsch used to work for Lucasfilm has been a long-time model-making enthusiast, and now he’s spending his time putting together perfect R2D2 replicas and building electric Landspeeders. With a top speed of 25 mph it’s definitely no weekday commuter, but it’s perfect for driving around town with the top down and confusing the neighbors.

I wish we had more information about the electric drive system, but according to Daniel it can go several miles on a single battery charge. Because the frame is made of aluminum and the body fiber glass, we can safely assume it’s fairly light, so it’s possible that it could be operated using a beefy golf cart set up or something to that effect. The fact that this is an electric vehicle is not only sweet, but goes well with those fond memories of Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi buzzing across the sand on Tatooine.

Either way, I think nothing says it better than the “White and Nerdy” music overlay in the video on his homepage. Click on over to see more pictures of the Landspeer and Daniel’s other projects.

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It may seem a little silly, but in this coming age of expensive gasoline, every trip we make to buy something is going to have to be a decision about whether or not it’s really worth it. That $10 book at the book store could easy become $15 if your car isn’t very efficient and the drive is longer than a few miles. The same can be said of going out to get coffee, groceries, or even Take ‘n’ Bake pizza.

EcoModder forum member Ben Nelson recently posted about his inventive approach to getting pizza without using any gas. He took his DIY electric motorcycle, which is already pretty sweet, and attached a little delivery tray to the back, the likes of which I haven’t seen since the last time I was in Japan (where almost all deliveries are done on Honda Super Cubs):

There’s no arguing that the bike itself isn’t a sweet ride, but it gets even better when you see that not only can you carry a pizza, but that you have room for an extra-large:

Of course, the bike has to get its electricity from somewhere, but since it’s much more efficient than an internal combustion engine it uses less and can get power from renewable sources like green energy providers or your home’s own solar panels.

So, I applaud Ben for his creative methods of reducing gas use, and hope that others will follow in his footsteps. Especially with gas prices hitting all-time highs in the US, the case against gasoline is getting incredibly strong.

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