"Our government is certainly excited about the possibility of using low-speed cars with low emissions and a smaller environmental footprint," Bradley said in an interview.
"We certainly would like to see that happen as soon as possible, and I've asked MTO to work with ZENN and similar manufacturers to work through the safety issues. I'm optimistic we can work through them."
ZENN stands for "zero emissions, no noise," which perfectly describes the nearly silent urban cars, which can go up to 40 kilometres per hour. The company boasts the vehicles eliminate up to six tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions for every gas-fuelled car they replace.
"That goes an incredibly long way to meeting our Kyoto protocols and cleaning up our cities," ZENN Motor CEO Ian Clifford said in an interview.
"People are opening their eyes and realizing there's a Canadian product, (and with) that as a consumer, you can make a huge difference."
Ontario won't wait until the end of a pilot project with electric vehicles in provincial parks before exploring options such as ZENN cars, Bradley said.
Clifford called that "terrific news," noting that provincial bureaucrats had been saying nothing would happen on electric cars until the pilot project wrapped up in 2011.
"That was incredibly reassuring," Clifford said in an interview. "It's a breath of fresh air. It's great (and) it really, really gives us a lot of hope."
ZENN cars have received the National Safety Mark from Transport Canada, approving them for use in the country, but so far British Columbia is the only Canadian jurisdiction to make them street legal. Forty-five of the 50 United States have already approved their use.
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http://www.canadaeast.com/rss/article/136268
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Ontario Transport Minister Would Like No-Emission Electric Cars On Roads Asap
Posted on Friday, November 23 at 17:40 by N SayContributed By
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"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
-Max Planck
Prius are known to benefit from a simple computer re-flash to make them quite a powerhouse off a start line. Their limits are imposed from the factory software, not in hardware. Electrics have the advantage of 100% torque available from 0 RPM, so they can out accelerate a dino burner from a dead stop.
I would imagine the ZENN is similar. Although, it may require some hardware upgrades. Being both a backyard mechanic and computer geek gives advantages sometimes.
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The preceding comment deals with mature subject matter, however immaturely presented. Viewer discretion is advised.
<br />
Chris Goodall <br />
Published: 25 November 2007 <br />
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Electric cars are small, slow, uncomfortable and dangerous. At least that is what most people used to think. The reality is changing fast as major manufacturers shift up a few gears: within a few years we will see electric vehicles on the road that look like their petrol equivalents, but with running costs of a couple of pence per mile. <br />
<br />
The US venture capital community has noticed the opportunity. A couple of weeks ago, investors piled $200m (£100m) into an electric car start-up in California making Project Better Place one of the best-funded new businesses in history. The company, though, does not intend to make cars. Instead, it will lease batteries to vehicle owners and operate a network of recharging stations. A driver who runs low on power on a long trip will simply turn into one of these forecourts, where a machine will automatically extract the run-down battery and provide a freshly charged replacement.<br />
<br />
Up until now, the main problem with electric cars has been the limited battery life. Most of today's models can run for only 30 or 40 miles before they need recharging. Many can't travel at more than 30mph and puff a bit going up steep hills. As a result, they are only really suitable for short trips to and from the shops.<br />
<br />
Most electric cars are powered by lead acid batteries that are heavy and take many hours to charge. But technology is developing rapidly. Lithium-ion batteries are just about to be fitted to London's most unlikely fashion accessory, the spectacularly ugly G-Wiz electric runabout. Lithium-ion batteries smaller versions of which power your phone and laptop hold more power and can be re- charged more quickly.<br />
<br />
Further big improvements are in prospect and will make it possible to have cars that travel at a good speed and last for over 100 miles without recharging.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article3193961.ece">http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article3193961.ece</a><p>---<br>"George Bush has declared the war on terrorism to be the cause of his generation. The cause of Canadian sovereignty will be ours." - John Godfrey, MP for Don Va