February 16, 2009 - The Vancouver Observer
Denis Lang wants you to drive an Electric Car
Local Q and A
Linda Solomon: You are one of the most passionate advocates for the electric car in Vancouver. You go all around BC speaking to city governments about how it could improve peoples’ lives. How did you get into this?
Denis Lang: The passion for the automobile came from my Dad who owned a Chrysler dealership in New Brunswick. While working with Dad, he taught me the full-cycle dealership industry, looking out for future trends, and opportunities. In 2004, I started the path becoming a spokesperson for clean car technology.
SOLOMON: Why the electric car?
LANG: In 2002, the organization I was working for at the time was looking for new ‘revenue streams’, GM gave the world the electric car (EV1), and I took note of a Canadian company by the name of Feel Good Cars (FGC) – they were offering electric vehicles. I started to explore FGCs first offering: ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise) Neighborhood Electric Vehicles. In 2004, I came in communication with a local (Delta) company by the name of DYNASTY who was manufacturing Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV). In early 2005, I met one of the founding members of “The Electric Car Company’ who were located in Vancouver in the early 90’s. They produced a few prototypes of fully battery electric vehicles. I received a lot of valuable information about their success and downfall, including how to manufacture electric vehicles. Finally, on August 2005, I went parachuting on my birthday. I took some pictures from the sky overlooking the horizon. My son questioned the haze in the background and he asked, “What’s that.” I said that is pollution.
SOLOMON: So his shock got you to thinking?
LANG: It just rang a bell inside of me, and eight months later I was test driving ZENN’s in Bellingham, Washington with the folks at ZENN.
SOLOMON: Then what happened?
LANG: I was reading on the United Nation website that the fight for sustainability will be won or lost by those of us living in urban centers; at the turn of the last century, eighty percent of the people were living rural and today eighty percent of the people are living in cities.
SOLOMON: And many of them, or rather, us, drive cars.
LANG: Yes, 80% of Canadians drive to work, and besides, there’s only ever one person in the car. I soon found out hybrid vehicles are not society’s car, hybrid is a car that benefits the automakers with after sales. There is a $17B market in Canada with automobile after sales. The hybrids have more moveable parts vs. the current gasoline cars. There is only one moveable part in an electric vehicle motor. The fully Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) will benefit consumers pocketbook.
SOLOMON: That’s after sales.
LANG: Right.
SOLOMON: So is that not true about the electric car?
LANG: No, the electric vehicle benefits your pocketbook. The electric vehicle reduces waste, and operating cost. In 2009, electricity is cheaper vs. gasoline. The ZENN Motor Company has a great product specifically targeted to urban transportation.
SOLOMON: They make electric cars?
LANG. Yes, they started out as “Feel Good Cars.” Their head office is in Toronto, and their assembly plant is located in Saint Jerome, Quebec. The first vehicle rolled off the assembly line in October 2007. ZENN sold approximately 400 vehicles in their first year in operations. In 2005, ZENN was selling their NEVs at $9,995 retail – in 2009, the price of the car is now $17,995 retail.
SOLOMON: My God, that’s cheap! Do they work?
LANG: Oh yes they work. I’ve driven them many times. The Neighborhood Electric Vehicles ability fits a second vehicle requirement perfectly, and you will not be contributing to our growing dependence on oil.
SOLOMON: For getting around town.
LANG: Neighborhood Electric Vehicles users replace up to 90% of city-core trips vs. same trips they used to make with their conventional cars.SOLOMON: Why haven’t the car manufacturers jumped all over it?LANG: The Big 3 focus was on a different target market; the manufacturers are now creating complex vehicles with two power trains (gasoline & electric). Chrysler is the only Big 3 who kept their focus on Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, and have branched out Green Eco Mobility. Ford gave up their interest over their THINK electric vehicle project. In 2005, a group of businessmen purchased the Ford THINK blueprints, and will start manufacturing the NEV in the USA in 2010
SOLOMON: How far do most people drive in a day?
LANG: The average person drives approximately forty kilometers a day. The average car sits parked 23 hours a day. The average person flies when they need to travel long distance.
SOLOMON: Flying has a big carbon footprint.
LANG: Yes, but people will not stop flying. I am certain the Aviation Industry is tackling the green issue. Drivers are making worst damage by driving poorly maintained vehicle.
SOLOMON: What about the Zenn car?
LANG: The ZENN NEV is as simple as simple can be. The ZENN is designed to meet neighborhood and urban transportation needs. It’s a great solution for busy urban areas.
SOLOMON: What’s high end about it?
LANG: Just check your tires and you are ready to drive. The ZENN is as easy as charging your cell phone - Plug the car to a regular 110V outlet at night, and in the morning the car will be ready.
SOLOMON: Sounds so simple.
LANG: We have too many cars on the roads, and it’s going to get worst. The average driver in North America changes vehicle every 3-5 years, and ownership rates is 70 vehicles per 100 people. The electric vehicle offers an alternative to ownership - The electric vehicle is upgradeable as the modern-day appliance. The electric motor with one moveable part is a workhorse. Later on you’ll be upgrading your cars hardware, firmware, software and operating system.
SOLOMON: It’s a computer with four wheels. So, we’re going to be riding around in our computers too?
LANG: Yes, you could say that. There’s only one movable part in the motor, compared to the current hybrids. The Detroit 3 automakers are going to build upon their success with non-plug hybrids, to introduce plug-in vehicles. But the new cars that will come out will have more moveable parts vs. the current gasoline cars. The future belongs to the Battery, and Solar Electric Vehicles. Less is more.
SOLOMON: What’s wrong with moveable parts?
LANG: More moveable parts equal more opportunities for repairs, and replacement.
SOLOMON: So you think this is an urgent issue.
LANG: We know a lot a lot more than we ever did. The Auto Industry will see the urgency by the lowering sales. The Detroit 3 knew they were going to pay dearly for this ‘electric’ shift; it is one of the reasons for the government bailout. For the next 2-years, the Detroit 3 will be force-feeding consumers cars no longer craved. Experts are hoping to jolt people out of their complacent delusions that they can continue the status quo. Many people are reluctant to accept the idea that they need to make significant changes if they don’t want to send the entire ecosystem into collapse. But unless, many people agree to live closer together on less land and consume less stuff, particularly less stuff from far away, they are rushing off the cliff.When I go talk to municipalities about the electric car, I’m there to jolt reality.
SOLOMON: What should we do?
LANG: We should be frugal.
SOLOMON: How does this apply to the electric car?
LANG: You don’t need to change your electric vehicle every three to five years to get the latest and greatest. With an electric vehicle, you can upgrade it to the next century.
SOLOMON: The only thing between me and trading my car in and buying one of these, is it doesn’t have enough room for my family.
LANG: The NEV makes for a perfect second vehicle. You no longer need to drive your minivan or SUV around the corner to pick up the groceries, rent a movie, or drop off the dry cleaning.Imagine, “Made in Canada” electric vehicles, recharged at home with local generated sustainable electricity, it’s a win win situation for Canada. Money stays, and grows in Canada. Canada is a small nation with 34 million populations. California has 36 million. Canada had its own electric vehicle manufacturer right here in Delta by the name of DYNASTY. With no firm support from the 3-levels of government, the company was sold in October 2007 to an entrepreneur in world-class city Karachi Pakistan.The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is not a mainstream product. It goes against the grain.
SOLOMON: Why?
LANG: The NEV is a disruptive product. It opens up new distributions channels. In many markets, consumers and corporate buyers have latched onto their suppliers and their trusted relationships. Disruption is an innovation that creates a new market for consumption, and perceived as inferior by existing customers in the mainstream.
SOLOMON; But why don’t we have them here?LANG: There is currently one NEV dealership in British Columbia by the name of Electric Car BC. Canada is a small market. The ZENN is not currently available for BC.
SOLOMON: Why can’t I get a ZENN in BC?
LANG: There’s no market. ZENN sold over 100 vehicles in the California (pop 36M) market in their first year. Its not feasible to sell the NEV in a market of 2.3M (Metro Vancouver) and/or 4.4M (British Columbia), unless people are ‘with it’ and they ‘get it’. Drivers of NEVs are fully aware of their operating design and drive them appropriately.I’ve been going to municipality-to-municipality to start approving these zero emission vehicles in their local by-laws. We pave the road for electric vehicles in Metro Vancouver, BC, and across Canada.
SOLOMON: What about Vancouver?
LANG: The City of Vancouver approved the NEV in October 2008. North Vancouver approved the NEVs in Feb 2009. Whistler and Burnaby approved in November 2008, and Port Coquitlam in December 2008. One municipality at a time - there are over 155 municipalities in BC.
SOLOMON : It seems it would be I can trade in my car and I’m good to go. No more gas, no more pollution, a noiseless vehicles. I like the sound of this.
LANG: Not quite for Vancouver, the NEVs are regulated by Transport Canada to limit its speed to 40 km/h. Vancouver’s inner-city bridges-- Burrard, Granville and Cambie all have a minimum speed limit of 60 km/h, so for the moment the NEVs can’t cross the bridges.
SOLOMON: I’m not quite as excited about this car anymore. I definitely need to drive across the bridges.
LANG: Patience that day is coming soon. I learned the hard way that you can’t force change. In Spring 2009, The City of Vancouver Council Members are going to propose a lower speed limits from 50 km/h to 40 km/h from city side streets and 60 km/h to 50 km/h on inner-city bridges.
SOLOMON: People may not understand why they are doing this. I hope they do. I want that car.
LANG: The city is full of people, bicycles, children, crosswalks, scooters, skateboards, and they’re all allowed to go across the bridge. The downtown core in Vancouver is very unique compared to other cities in Canada. It’s a perfect place for the NEV. The local politicians had foresight, and crafted the downtown core favorable to pedestrians. I lived 4-years in the downtown core, and you are able to shop for everything you need in Vancouver’s downtown core.
SOLOMON: Can we buy cars from you soon?
LANG: Soon. It takes an effort of will and resources to get something released to consumers. It’s much better for us to show a realistic appreciation of the difficulty of building a successful company. While we wait for our electric vehicle, I’m educating people about the advantage of home recharging, and the current options offered by new EV manufacturers. I’m focused on modes of electric transportation that are simple as simple can be for the average driver.
SOLOMON: Sounds like we need to get a little more homegrown and make a Canadian electric vehicles.
LANG: Canada has all the necessary components to manufacture its own vehicle: ‘Made in Canada’ for the “Canadian Tundra.” We’re exploring many options, and on February 17, I’ll be meeting with Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment to talk about the potential to build “Made in Canada’ electric vehicles. Many restaurant, taxis, and couriers in the Vancouver downtown core do not deliver or travel more than 100 km a shift. Why are they driving around with a long-range vehicle when all they need is a short-range vehicle? They need a NEV, the right tool for the right job.When I go before council, and talk about these issues, some have said I would attract more people if I used honey instead of vinegar. I’m not making a salad here. I’m trying to jolt people into action.
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