Toronto Zenn car sells in California, banned at home

Isn't that disappointed you Toronto people?

26 August 2008
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Mike Borbely likes his Canadian-made Zenn electric car so much he's planning to install solar panels on his garage roof so he can charge it for free."The Zenn really takes care of the lion's share of my commuting needs," said Borbely, a 45-year-old home designer from San Jose.He drives the boxy two-seater, which has a top speed of 25 miles an hour, to visit clients, he said.Good thing Borbely is from California. He couldn't buy the Zenn in Toronto. Zenn Motor Co. has no customers in its hometown because the Ontario government has banned low-speed electric cars such as the Zenn from public roads, citing safety concerns. At least 40 U.S. states, including California and Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Quebec deem electric cars like the Zenn to be safe as long as they don't exceed their mandated maximum speeds. Ontario says more research is needed."It's been somewhat mind-boggling; the U.S. has been much more welcoming than Canada," Zenn Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Ian Clifford said in an interview at his Toronto office. "Why is this niche treated so differently in the two countries?"The Ontario Ministry of Transportation this month ordered studies of low-speed electric cars to see if they are safe for public roads. The government has been testing the vehicles in parks across the province since 2006. Until the studies are complete, as late as 2011, Zenns will be off limits "We want low-speed electric vehicles on our roads, and we are looking at how it can be done safely," Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said in a statement announcing the new research.Small electric cars like the Zenn typically meet only three of 40 safety standards required of regular passenger cars for brakes, bumpers and other components or functions, said Emna Dhahak, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transportation in Toronto.

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(via. contracostatimes.com)