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LSVs - Made in Canada Solution, Not Welcome in Canada (ppt)

If there's no need for micro-EVs, why do people keep inventing them? (pptx)

Minimobility - new field of innovation (pptx)

Low Speed electric Vehicles (LSV) / Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) / Neighbourhood Zero Emissions Vehicles (NZEV)

Last updated 2024.12.07

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We do not sell NEVs, LSVs, NZEVs or MSVs. We think zero-emissions low-noise LSEVs and NEVs are a great form of urban transportation, and in particular suitable to indoor/outdoor operation. We think they are poised to explode in popularity, where they are not being hindered by corporate, government and institutional barriers. We do sell Soneil battery chargers, both high and low current models, which would be ideal for charging LSEVs / NEVs.

Background

In the U.S., the preferred term is now LSV, displacing NEV. In the U.S., LSVs can be powered by gasoline. In Canada, LSVs can only be electric. For the purposes of this page, I will use the term LSV most of the time, as the E for electric is visible in the acronym. In some U.S. states, electric Medium Speed Vehicles (MSV) are also included in the NEV category (speeds up to 35 mph permitted).

NEV is not synonymous with electric car. There are many electric cars which are capable of travelling at highway speeds, while NEVs are limited by law to lower speeds (typically 25 or 35 mph, depending on the state, or 40 km/h in those few Canadian jurisdictions that have joined the 21st century by acknowledging the vehicle classification exists.)

While I have advocated for and used electric cars and small EVs like tractors and ebikes since the late 1970s, I recognize that EVs are not a panacea. They take energy to produce, they take up space, and they use electricity which may not be 'clean' when the generation source is considered. We are slowly greening the grid, and EVs are definitely better for local air quality, water quality, soil quality, food quality, health impacts, quieting the soundscape, lower operating costs compared to diesel (remember diesel-gate?), and even plug-in gas hybrids (which apparently are polluting far more than manufacturers have reported). Despite the corporate-spawned mythology, EV batteries don't go to landfill (they get repurposed into 'second-life' applications and recycled because the materials in them have economic value).

The LSV has a number of advantages that we think will contribute to their growing popularity. LSEVs do not use gasoline or diesel fuel, which has environmental and energy security benefits. LSVs have an enviable safety record, because of their restricted maximum speed and corresponding areas of use. As a result of this safety record, LSVs (and especially LSEVs) get very favourable insurance rates. Using an LSV to run short trips reduces wear and tear on a highway-capable gasoline vehicle, which is the usual alternative, which extends the life and value of that vehicle. LSEVs are quiet, which is a great thing in residential and urban areas where they tend to be used.

While the NEV is a recent innovation (circa 1995), and the LSV even more recent (circa 2006 for U.S. FMVSS Final Rule for LSV definition) in vehicle classifications, it already has an interesting and somewhat tumultuous history.
My paper in the Sixth International Conference on the History of Transportation, Traffic and Mobility (2008) Proceedings (MS Word format)
Slideshow for my presentation at the Sixth International Conference on the History of Transportation, Traffic and Mobility (2008) (PowerPoint format)

Paper: Regulatory Impediments to Neighborhood Electric Vehicles: Safety Standards and Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules by Timoty E. Lipman, Kenneth S. Kurani and Daniel Sperling. (PDF, 1994)

... and now the More Interesting Stuff

Mercedes-Benz presents Pope with new electric popemobile (Independent Catholic News, December 2024)

Special Registration Fees for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (NCSL, November 2024)
What's the real message when you release an item the day before U.S. Thanksgiving? EVs provide benefits for health and the environment far more valuable than road maintenance, which suffer most from heavy trucks. An arbitrary fee which does not take into account mileage travelled is not an appropriate means of measuring costs for road damage and usage, and expecially not for very light low and medium speed EVs.

Low Speed Electric Vehicle Market size was valued at USD 5.37 Bn. in 2023 (OpenPR, November 2024)

GT Force and CASHe Green to Offer Finance Options for its Low-Speed Variants (Energetica India, October 2024)

Seven Alberta communities piloting limited use of golf carts on municipal roads (Calgary Herald, October 2024)

Electric cargo bikes could transform transportation in Ottawa (Ottawa Citizen, October 2024)

What's the difference between a golf cart and an LSV? (Fox 26 News, August 2024)

Leverage active transport now, say national bike groups (Bicycle Network, August 2024)

How Aarhus aims to make city centre emissions-free (The Local, August 2024)

LSV Market to Reach $13.2 Billion, Globally, by 2033 at 10.6% CAGRe (Allied Market Research, August 2024)

Sparsholt College Group accelerates sustainability plans with Goupil G4 EV (van fleetworld, July 2024)

Low Speed Electric Vehicle Market Generate US$ 8.82 Bn. By 2029 | CAGR 8.6 percentage (openPR, June 2024)

On National Golf Cart Day (seriously), here's 10 ways they beat cars (electrek, June 2024)

E-Z-GO Creates National Golf Cart Day to Celebrate 70th Anniversary (TMCnet, June 2024)

The Meyers Manx Resorter Is the Ultimate Neighborhood Runabout MotorTrend, May 2024)

Why this electric 'car' the size of two motorcycles should be on your list (electrek, May 2024)

Tiny EVs come of age again in the third microcar renaissance. (ArsTechnica, May 2024)
The pejorative original headline for this article is intended to shape opinion contrary to the facts in the article.

SunRunner solar charging for LSVs, golf carts - no need to plug in to charge (Westhill Innovation, May 2024)

Last Mile Delivery Is Standardizing With Two Cubic Meter Roro Boxes For E-Cargo Trikes (CleanTechnica, May 2024)

EV-maker Eli launches its $11,900 electric micro 'car' in the US (electrek, May 2024)

Green transportation options key to meeting net-zero goals (April 2024)
Praise for Purolator introducing zero-emissions electric options for 'last-mile' pickup and delivery operations, because it's good business as well as good for human survival.

THE FUTURE IS MINIMOBILITY: The Next Revolution in Urban Transportation (LuvlyGlobal.com, January 2024)

[dead site: https://www.sccarts.ca/post/driving-solutions-electric-lsvs-in-canada-and-our-supportive-role] Driving Solutions: Electric LSVs in Canada and Our Supportive Role] (SC Carts, December 2023)

From micro to mini: How to smartly connect a minimobility fleet (Joyride, September 2023)

Saskatchewan high school students compete in electric go cart challenge (Global News, April 2023)
Perhaps not your typical minimobility vehicles, but teaching people about the technology has great value. I speak from experience, having had a lead role in organizing and running the EVCO Electrathons from 1998 onward.

Are minimobility vehicles the future of urban transport? (Automotive World, April 2023)

Supporting the global shift to electric mobility (UNEP, April 2023)

eMobility success hinges on six essentials as booming EV sales strain the value chain (EY-BG, March 2023)

Move Over Micro Mobility, Here Comes Mini Mobility (Verisk, November 2022)

The evolving landscape of eMobility:
Understanding the current state and future aspirations of micromobility in Canada (EY-CA, November 2022)

'Minimobility' Can Make Streets Safer - But Will SUV-Loving Americans Embrace It? (Streets Blog, October 2022)

'Minimobility' could fill the gap between micromobility and electric cars, analysts say (Utility Dive, October 2022)

What is minimobility? (Tomorrow.city, October 2022)

Minimobility: The next big thing in urban mobility? (EY-US, September 2022)

E-mobility guide: everything you need to know about electric cars (Appinio, November 2021)

Between Cars And Micromobility Lies 'Minimobility' - A Self-Driving Transportation Revolution (August 2019)

Low Speed Electric Vehicles enable 'Go Green' initiatives (February 2010)

If you're looking for someone to make sense of this for your business, I have been following this topic before it had a name, working on 1970s vehicles like the CitiCar and Elcar, and the variants since. You can find some of that in my Some EV History pages (fair warning, there's a lot there, and it can be a time-hole).
If you want a tailored analysis of how small EVs can improve your bottom line, get in touch.

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