Let's think about life in the slow lane

Let's think about life in the slow lane

Coquitlam NOW

Friday, October 03, 2008

Pardon the pun, but maybe it's time to change gears on a few regulations that limit our options when it comes time to buy a new vehicle.

Vancouver council voted this week to allow low-speed electric vehicles on city streets with speed limits of 50 km/h or less in most areas.

The decision comes on the heels of Oak Bay's nod to allow the so-called neighbourhood zero-emission vehicles cruise around the Victoria suburb.

When you step back and think about it, that's a good fit. Victoria's known for its retiree demographic, and having slower vehicles for seniors to putter into town with so they can run errands makes sense, not to mention the economic and environmental benefits.

Low-speed electric vehicles (LSVs) cost a mere two cents per kilometre to operate. Those tired of padding the pockets of big oil companies might find that number staggering -- if not motivating.

Fair enough, Transport Canada has some concerns with respect to the safety of LSVs, especially when you're talking about a crash between the pseudo golf carts and commercial trucks. We all know how that would play out.

However, these aren't meant to be commuter vehicles, and are likely no less safe than motorcycles.

Having LSVs on neighbourhood streets might actually be the beginning of the less car-dependant lifestyle city planners have been hoping to foster for years. By day, we could commute via public transit. On evenings and weekends, we could tootle around in a zero-emissions vehicle to buy groceries and pick up the dry-cleaning. Talk about lowering your carbon footprint.

After a slow start, green innovation is speeding up. Necessity is the mother of all invention, and people are going to be seriously contemplating green choices like LSVs as they decide to walk the talk of sustainability.

Transport Canada is not on board yet -- but federal and provincial agencies need to keep up with public sentiment, because it's time to think outside the box of gas, diesel and hybrid technologies alone.

Objectives & Campaign

Our objective

- is to provide fully electric, zero-emission vehicles to the general public, as soon as they are available.

- raise the awareness of the benefits of driving Electric Vehicles.

- create a market for clean car technology.

Our campaign

- is to bring the Electric Vehicle to communities that need them:

Hybrid-Households
Multi-Vehicle Households
Couriers
Taxis drivers
Pizza-Delivery drivers
Movie Studios
University or College Campuses
Resorts
Airports
Industrial Parks
National / Provincial / Municipal Governments.

Lang Motors - the electric car company

Hello, my name is Denis Lang, and I represent Lang Motors the electric car company. We’re continuing a family tradition by bringing the electric car first to Vancouver, then across Canada

Since 2005, Lang Motors Ltd. has been developing an Electric Vehicle dealership first in Vancouver then across Canada.

Lang Motors is a progressive thinking, environmentally friendly, Canadian business venture dedicated to the promotion and sales of the new zero-emission vehicle.

Our main objective is to attain and maintain a position as the primary source of ZEV, first in Vancouver, then across Canada. Lang Motors intends to increase the use of ZEV in all areas of vehicular transportation, from moving people to moving goods.

We create and promote nine (9) "Electric Avenues" zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) Dealerships located across Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, and Halifax. This opens up the door for other potential "Electric" cities in Canada to uniquely position themselves as regional leaders in an aspect of sustainable transportation. Canada currently does not have a dealership dedicated to ZEV. Lang Motors Ltd. aims to fill this void.

Lang Motors profit sharing program will be kept and distributed in local participated communities in form of scholarships to financial challenged students.

My passion for the automobile came from my father, a former Chrysler dealership owner in New Brunswick. While working with my father, I developed a detailed knowledge of the industry, future trends, and opportunities, and thus became a spokesman for clean car technology.

In addition, I’m a global-thinking, entrepreneur who believes in sustainable business development, which includes social responsibility, green / environmental practices and corporate profitability.

Electric Warrior

http://www.shared-vision.com/svvisionaries/electric-warrior

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.”