Low-speed vehicle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A low-speed vehicle (LSV) is a legal class of 4-wheel vehicles that have a maximum capable speed typically around 25 mph (40 km/h), and have a minimum capable speed (typically 20 mph (32 km/h)) that allows them to travel on public roads not accessible to all golf carts or neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV). The vehicles operate under very similar restrictions to but without the specification of battery electric power.[citation needed] See the NEV article for general vehicle requirements.
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[edit] Canadian regulations
Under Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations, low-speed vehicle is defined as a vehicle, other than an all-terrain vehicle, a truck or a vehicle imported temporarily for special purposes, that is powered by an electric motor, produces no emissions, is designed to travel on 4 wheels and has an attainable speed in 1.6 km of more than 32 km/h (20 mph) but not more than 40 km/h (25 mph) on a paved level surface.
[edit] Philippines "e-jeepneys"
E-jeepneys or minibuses, supported by Greenpeace started plying Manila / Makati City streets on July 1, 2008. 4 e-jeeps were launched by Jejomar Binay on 2007, with 2 prototypes from Guangzhou Langqing Electric Car Co., Ltd., China at P 371,280 each. "The first public transport system of its kind in South-East Asia," the vehicles can be charged by plugging into an electric socket, using power from biodegradable waste.[1] E-jeepneys would also soon begin commercial operations in Puerto Princesa, Bacolod and Baguio. The 2 new e-jeeps were made by the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP), while the first 4 units were made in China. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board classified and registered them as LSV (low-speed vehicles) or 4-wheeled motor vehicles that use alternative fuel such as electricity and running a maximum 40 km per hour. The E-jeepney carries 17 passengers and can run 120 km on an 8-hour charge from an electric outlet.[2][3]
[edit] United States
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published safety guidelines in the United States which apply to vehicles operating in the 20–25 mile-per-hour speed range.[4] As of January 2007, twenty-five of the fifty states of the United States had passed legislation legalizing the use of low-speed vehicles on highways in the state.[4] By 2009, nearly all 50 states allow LSVs, also called NEVs, to drive on their roads. Either they follow FMVSS500 (25 mph top speed on 35 mph limit roads), or make their own more aggressive law. as of end of 2008, 9 states had made it legal to drive them 35 mph speed, most on 45 mph streets. In 2009, Texas has passed a new law (SB129) allowing them to drive 35 mph on 45 mph roads; California and New Mexico have proposed laws in their respective legislatures.
[edit] See also
- ZENN 2-seat battery electric vehicle by ZENN Motor Company
[edit] Note
[edit] References
- "Low Speed Vehicles, Final ruling". U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1998-06-17. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/lsv/lsv.html.
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- Legal definitions
- 49 C.F.R. , U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, Definitions
- U.S. state laws: Alaska, California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah
- Canadian laws: Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations,
