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Denis Lang - Electric Warrior
“I sold my first car when I was 16!” exclaims Denis Lang, the passionate entrepreneur behind Lang Motors. And if Denis gets his way, he’ll be selling many more. But Denis is not interested in hawking any old autos, but electric cars, otherwise known as ZEVs (zero-emissions vehicles).
Denis’ lineage is a bit of an automotive dynasty: his father owned a Chrysler dealership, and research has turned up a relative who was manufacturing electric cars at the turn of the century. But it was actually Denis’ son who motivated him to get into the electric car business.
On his birthday in 2005, Denis went skydiving. Gazing at the resulting photos, his son remarked on the pollution haze in the background. Denis decided to do something about it.
He plans to operate his dealership in Vancouver, then expand the chain across the country. But, as Canada’s soon-to-be first electric car dealer, this is no easy feat. ZEVs are under heavy scrutiny by Transport Canada. In B.C., they are only allowed on streets with a maximum speed limit of 40 km/hr. But Denis fervently defends the quiet, environmentally friendly, home-charging vehicles.
“My crusade is to allow them in streets in the Metro Vancouver area and other municipalities for 50 km/hr without any restrictions,” he says. “So, I have to kiss a lot of politicians.”
Given the current environmental and economic climate, the timing seems right for Denis’ ardent politicking to pave the way for the ZEV. And he is committed to fighting the good fight.
“The no. 1 rule Lang Motors created when starting this crusade for the electric car 36 months ago was: ignore people who tell you, ‘You can’t.’ I did it the old-fashioned way; I rolled up my sleeves and worked hard.”
“I sold my first car when I was 16!” exclaims Denis Lang, the passionate entrepreneur behind Lang Motors. And if Denis gets his way, he’ll be selling many more. But Denis is not interested in hawking any old autos, but electric cars, otherwise known as ZEVs (zero-emissions vehicles).
Denis’ lineage is a bit of an automotive dynasty: his father owned a Chrysler dealership, and research has turned up a relative who was manufacturing electric cars at the turn of the century. But it was actually Denis’ son who motivated him to get into the electric car business.
On his birthday in 2005, Denis went skydiving. Gazing at the resulting photos, his son remarked on the pollution haze in the background. Denis decided to do something about it.
He plans to operate his dealership in Vancouver, then expand the chain across the country. But, as Canada’s soon-to-be first electric car dealer, this is no easy feat. ZEVs are under heavy scrutiny by Transport Canada. In B.C., they are only allowed on streets with a maximum speed limit of 40 km/hr. But Denis fervently defends the quiet, environmentally friendly, home-charging vehicles.
“My crusade is to allow them in streets in the Metro Vancouver area and other municipalities for 50 km/hr without any restrictions,” he says. “So, I have to kiss a lot of politicians.”
Given the current environmental and economic climate, the timing seems right for Denis’ ardent politicking to pave the way for the ZEV. And he is committed to fighting the good fight.
“The no. 1 rule Lang Motors created when starting this crusade for the electric car 36 months ago was: ignore people who tell you, ‘You can’t.’ I did it the old-fashioned way; I rolled up my sleeves and worked hard.”
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