Ontario Pushes to Make Electric Cars Street Legal

New Ontario provincial Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said he’d like to see environmentally friendly electric vehicles on the streets “as soon as possible.”

ZENN Motor Co. of Toronto manufactures small, low-speed electric cars that emit no greenhouse gases. But the company has found it difficult to get the vehicles approved for use across the country, despite the seal of approval from Transport Canada.

Bradley said that he wants to meet with ZENN’s executives and have Ministry of Transportation staff work with the company to address any outstanding safety issues to meet provincial regulations.

“Our government is certainly excited about the possibility of using low-speed cars with low emissions and a smaller environmental footprint,” Bradley said.

ZENN stands for “zero emissions, no noise.” The nearly silent urban cars, which can go up to 40km/h, eliminate up to six tons of carbon dioxide emissions for every gas-fueled car they replace.