Made in Canada (but you can't buy it here)

[Big Cliff]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ri2BG2qOvCg?feature=player_detailpage

[Fisherman]

Well I can see it being approved in BC, tree hugger heaven. Just amazing how much red tape is in the rest of the country.

[Woodsman]

Funny that on the vidieo they never mentioned range or top speed.

[Gerritt]

Was driving down the 401 on the way home from work today and saw my first Tesla model S..... It's one thing to see pictures etc.... But quite another to see one cruIng the hiways.... What a sweet car

 

G

[John Bacon]

It would be interesting to know why it is not approved in nine provinces. Does it meet safety standards? Are approvals pending? There may be other reasons why it is not approved.

 

A quick Google search reveals that the top speed is 40 km per hour. I can see that being an issue as it would be an obstruction to traffic on most of the road ways. If they could boost the cruising speed to at least 60 kph, then it would be able to keep up with traffic on most roads. Then it would make sense to give it approval for city roads but, ban them from highways.

 

It was more like a golf cart than a car.

Edited April 5, 2015 by JohnBacon

[DRIFTER_016]

It was more like a golf cart than a car.

 

UHHHHH, not all golf carts are slugs.  

 

[Canuck2fan]

Ummm that Mercer clip was from Nov 20 2007....

 

CBC update about the car

Uploaded on Mar 25, 2008

 

Yep we killed it, way to go Canada

http://www.cantechletter.com/2013/05/who-killed-the-zenn-motors-car0501/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZENN

[Big Cliff]

I'm thinking that the "big three" played a big part in "killing" it. Heaven forbid that someone comes out with an affordable car that you can plug into any 110V outlet.

 

That car would have been perfect for someone like Sue, just runs into town to do a few errands, never goes more than about 30 or 40 km in a trip and she sure doesn't need to do it fast although 40 might be a little on the slow side.

 

Didn't realize that that clip was from 2007 though LOL.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Big Cliff

[Steve]

remember, electricity has to come from a source...and many are not "clean". the cost to create electricity is not often cheap. As a result, some of this "green thinking" in these cars is just cloaking the truth.

 

if you pump electricity into a car that was created by a fossil fuel you're no further ahead than using gasoline.

 

the batteries aren't the cleanest for compost either. While we work to improve technology we are also finding better ways to generate more efficient green energy.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Steve

[John Bacon]

I'm thinking that the "big three" played a big part in "killing" it.

 

I think a lack of demand was the main factor. It was approved for sale in the U.S. and in B.C. That provides a pretty big market if anyone was interested in buying. The other nine provinces would have only added another 10% or so to the existing market; that is not going to make or brake the company.

 

I don't think I would want a car with a top speed of 40 km/h on our roads. That would cause a lot of traffic issues.

 

If they could have bumped the speed to at least 60 km/h then it may have had a niche. If it could drive 60 km/h then it would be safe to use in the city; I still wouldn't want it on the highway. Such a vehicle would make a decent second vehicle for two car families.

[Woodsman]

Even the update was from 2008.

The idea didn't fly.

From the wiki link:

"In September 2009 CEO Ian Clifford announced that ZENN was ceasing car production to concentrate on selling its drive-train technology to other manufacturers. The company confirmed it will launch its 2010 model but not the CityZENN model. The company had only sold a total of 500 vehicles and cited slow sales as a reason for the decision.^[1] Production of the ZENN LSV ceased on March 2010, and service support and provision of parts is scheduled to end on June 30, 2013.^[2]"

[Wagoneer]

I like how they make it out to be some sort of crime that it's not legal in Canada. The ONLY place a car like this would make sense is downtown Toronto, or some other large metropolis where you spend most of your time in a gridlock. It has a top speed of 40km/h, so it's basically the passenger car version of an e-bike. And we all hate e-bikes.

 

Secondly, it's powered by dang' deep cycle lead-acid batteries and has a range of 64km (which is rumoured to be greatly exaggerated and actual numbers closer to 30km). The entire car is an engineering joke and was headed for failure before the first one rolled off the line.

 

Thirdly, electricity in 90% of Canada is anything but clean. We still make power the same way we did 80yrs ago. Not to mention we pay some of the highest hydro rates in North America. To have this as a second car is just stupid. When you factor in insurance costs (some of the highest in North America), electricity rates (dido), and in the city you'll have to pay a monthly fee for parking the thing as a second car - because this CANNOT be your only vehicle, you will NEVER profit from owning this vehicle.

[Warthaug]

remember, electricity has to come from a source...and many are not "clean". the cost to create electricity is not often cheap. As a result, some of this "green thinking" in these cars is just cloaking the truth.

 

if you pump electricity into a car that was created by a fossil fuel you're no further ahead than using gasoline.

 

the batteries aren't the cleanest for compost either. While we work to improve technology we are also finding better ways to generate more efficient green energy.

This is a common myth, but as the term "myth" suggests, it is untrue. The part that is missing from your statement is the concept of efficiency. Electric cars are very efficient - in current electric cars 2/3rds of the power in the battery actually makes it to the wheel. Electrical generators - be them coal, nuclear, gas or other, are also fairly efficient - 45% or so. Gas car engines are incredibly inefficient - average today is 18%; the maximum possible efficiency (determined by thermal efficiency) is 37%, so:

 

Electric, average-case: 66% * 45% = 30% total efficiency

 

That's near-double the efficiency of average automotive efficiency, and only modestly less than the absolute best physics would allow a car to operate at.

 

In other words, don't believe everything the automotive and oil industry lobbyists tell you too...

 

B

[Steve]

I work in the green energy industry.

My eyes are wide open.

[FloatnFly]

I like how they make it out to be some sort of crime that it's not legal in Canada. The ONLY place a car like this would make sense is downtown Toronto, or some other large metropolis where you spend most of your time in a gridlock. It has a top speed of 40km/h, so it's basically the passenger car version of an e-bike. And we all hate e-bikes.

 

Secondly, it's powered by dang' deep cycle lead-acid batteries and has a range of 64km (which is rumoured to be greatly exaggerated and actual numbers closer to 30km). The entire car is an engineering joke and was headed for failure before the first one rolled off the line.

 

Thirdly, electricity in 90% of Canada is anything but clean. We still make power the same way we did 80yrs ago. Not to mention we pay some of the highest hydro rates in North America. To have this as a second car is just stupid. When you factor in insurance costs (some of the highest in North America), electricity rates (dido), and in the city you'll have to pay a monthly fee for parking the thing as a second car - because this CANNOT be your only vehicle, you will NEVER profit from owning this vehicle.

 

 

80 years ago we were using turbines in the falls, and burning coal for hydro, coal fired plants are all but gone in favour of nuclear energy, and the turbines in the falls are no longer functioning.

 

we are building solar fields and wind farms, but the unsightly nature, and possible health risks from them, is making is difficult to construct them

[Steve]

Health Canada has concluded there are no health risks associated with wind turbines (and there never were any claimed to be associated with solar farms).

 

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/noise-bruit/turbine-eoliennes/index-eng.php