Car counselor details difference between electric and low speed vehicles
Posted Oct 9, 2009 By Brian Turner
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Tweet ThisEMC Lifestyle - "Dear Brian,
Could you find out for me why electric vehicles are illegal in Ontario? I took the gas motor out of a 1995 Ford Ranger and installed a 28.5 HP electric motor. A rep from the MTO office said electric vehicles are illegal in Ontario. The local licence office in my town has tried several times to apply for a licence but each time they call, the hotline, it says 'no'.
Do you know where this hotline goes to and who is at the other end? It is so secretive, no one will tell me. This vehicle does not leak oil on roads, does not leak antifreeze on roads, and does not spit fumes out an exhaust pipe. Why, then, is it illegal?
I would appreciate anything you can find out for me."
Thank you,
Gord
First and foremost let me assure Gord and all our other readers that electric vehicles are indeed legal for road use in Ontario and in fact there are hundreds on our highways each day. What Gord, and some of the ministry and licensing officials he has dealt with may be thinking of are Low Speed Vehicles or LSV's. LSV's are not permitted for general use on Ontario roads. They have been the subject of pilot studies and tests and are currently only allowed on closed roads within provincial and municipal parks and conservation areas. These vehicles by definition are limited to speeds of 32 to 40 kph. British Columbia and many U.S. States do allow LSV's on most of their two lane roads but not on major highways.
The electric vehicles that do legally operate on our highways and roads today can be sorted into two main categories,
Conversions or regular gasoline or diesel powered vehicles that have had their combustion engine replaced with an electric motor (such as Gord's Ford Ranger). These can be done by hobbyists but special care needs to be taken to ensure all the required safety equipment built into the vehicle by the original manufacturer remains intact and operational. As well the batteries (which can range in number from 10 to 20 or more depending on the vehicle) need to be well protected from any collision impact or rollover. Some vehicles will require substantial suspension modification to accommodate the extra weight of the batteries and the shift in weight caused by the removal of the engine. More than a few companies exist in the market offering one-stop shopping for all inclusive kits designed for a variety of cars and light trucks.
Restored Electric Vehicles which were originally built as mass produced vehicles by major car makers. Examples in this class would be the Ford Ranger EV, Toyota Rav4 EV, and the Geo Metro EV. Just like any other class of vehicle, these silent runners have loyal followers who, with help, or on their own, will rebuild and restore them to their former glory and environmentally friendly running condition.
These vehicles can and do operate at highway speeds and their drivers tend to run them more conservatively to extend the battery range.
For details on just what is involved in registering and licensing a conversion like Gord's Ranger I spoke with Richard Lane, a professional electric car maker with many successful conversion projects in his portfolio and who happens to be a member of the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa. The EVC is a non-profit, incorporated organization dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles in applications where they are appropriate. They hold regular meetings and run an expo annually at the Museum of Science and Tech.
According to Richard, providing that the vehicle is registered in Gord's name, an affidavit must be created and signed indicating that the vehicle has been converted to operate only on electric power and the registration must have its 'motive power' designation changed from 'G' (for gasoline) to 'E' (for electric). This is done by a vehicle licensing office and will exempt the vehicle from any future emissions tests. If the current registration on the truck lists it as 'fit' for the road, a safety inspection is not required, otherwise one will need to be completed by a licenced garage and a MTO safety standards certificate completed and signed.
Once all this is done, licence plates can be obtained from any MTO vehicle licensing office. Keep in mind that registering an electric vehicle is not a common transaction, so working patiently with licensing staff is key to getting this done. Many electric car drivers have had this done quite easily on their own, but with the intricacy of some of the paperwork involved some choose to leave it up to others with more experience and are happy to pay these consultants for their skill and abilities. Obtaining insurance on the other hand can be a challenge but, like licensing, can be done if the correct steps are followed. I, like Gord, wouldn't be shy about taking on the nuts and bolts of such a project, but I would gladly leave the trek through MTO bureaucracy to someone who has blazed the path before.
The Electric Vehicle Council meets the last Monday of each month starting at 7:30 p.m. at the museum and new members are welcome. You can check out their website at www.evco.ca.
From time to time I receive information from readers who represent products or tools for use on cars and trucks. Lynn St. Amour wrote in recently after a piece I did on rust spots on cars with details on a cleaner called Power One, which she said would easily remove rust and other stains and was safe on almost all automotive surfaces. I asked for a sample and gave it a try on some older cars on the 'headed for retirement' line at the dealership where I work. I tried it on old alloy rims stained black with brake dust, and on doors and body panels with severe rust stains. And it does remove most stains with ease. The product claims to be acid and solvent free but the instructions do contain a warning to try it on a small inconspicuous area for the first time to make sure it won't damage the coating. It is very popular with the boating crowd to remove water and weather marks, weed and slime stains, and other nasties on the various types of surfaces found on floating craft. It's available from many retailers and is stocked at most Canadian Tire stores. A one litre bottle sells for $15.95 and this amount would easily clean 40 or 50 of the dirtiest rims and it has many other household uses. You can also check out the company's website at www.atinsco.com. I can certainly recommend it after seeing that it actually lives up to its billing.
If you have any questions, opinions, or stories on anything automotive please drop me a line, (By email to emc@perfprint.ca listing 'Question for the Car Counselor' on the subject line or by post to Record News Communications, 5 Lorne St., P.O. Box 158, Smiths Falls, Ont. K7A 4T1).
Yours in service,
Brian Turner
