They keep killing the electric car
The government's plan to abort zero-emissions transportation
February 20, 2008
Craig Ketchum
How much do you hate paying for gas? In Langley, we’re still waiting for improved public transit, so if you’re wishing your gas bills would just go away, your wish may just be granted. It’s not the smart car; it’s bigger and cheaper. Whereas many highly efficient petrol-powered cars cost tens of thousands of dollars, the vehicle I’m talking about is environmentally friendly and economical. Zero Emissions, No Noise: ZENN. And it sounds like savings at $12,000, because it’s electric, so you never have to feel pain at the pump ever again! You simply plug it in to the wall.
It travels at 50 km/h, so it’s not great for road-trips to California, but it runs like a dream in urban areas where that’s the speed limit anyway. A new battery is being developed that will make it capable of highway speeds. And it’s built in Canada. So it fits perfectly with Stephen Harper’s “made in Canada” solution for pollution, right? Right! Wrong. You won’t find it on Canadian roads, because the government won’t allow it. The policy is reminiscent of the Vancouver Olympic Committee’s decision to carve a superhighway through endangered forest at the Eagle Ridge Bluffs right after they had promised to make Vancouver the “greenest Olympics ever.”
The ZENN is an internationally acclaimed car. It is sold in the United States, Mexico, Asia and numerous European countries, where it has won awards. But with the rising Canadian dollar, the company really has no reason to stay in Canada, because they can’t sell their cars here.
The ZENN recently became a hot topic after being featured in three CBC special reports and hit blogs immediately thereafter. After a little investigative journalism found that the Ministry of Transport had been stalling, probably under pressure from U.S. and Canadian auto and oil lobby groups, (NDP leader Jack Layton had a heyday) ZENN was magically approved in early November 2007. Fifty days later the Ministry turned around and revised its policies to forbid the ZENN from operating on any Canadian roads except “closed, private roads such as parks, university campuses and military bases.” It’s unfortunate that the Ministry isn’t giving the ZENN a chance, because neither the Environment Minister nor the Minister of Transport has ever ridden in one.
Consequently, the ZENN and green vehicles like it will not enter the Canadian market. Consumer choice for alternative, zero emission vehicles will remain limited to bicycles. Provinces wishing to promote alternative forms of transportation will have to legislate in direct opposition to Transport Canada. Harper says we can’t meet Kyoto, and he might be right – if his government doesn’t try. But by replacing a gas-powered car with an electric car on the streets, six tonnes of lifetime emissions are eliminated.
Instead, Canada is pursuing ineffective easy-to-reach environmental “targets” compared with those recommended by science advisory committees and the Green Party. Why not shoot higher? Well, there’s money at stake. The Big Three automakers, who wrangle $1 billion in subsidies despite laying off over 100,000 workers, and Big Oil, which gets $1.4 billion in subsidies despite record prices and record profits every year, have close relationships with the government and would rather not see their businesses jeopardised.
I won’t don the sackcloth and ashes just yet, but it looks like the government is going 2-for-2. They already killed Dynasty, the other electric car manufacturer, and it looks like they’re trying to kill ZENN.
Now you go...
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