They are fuel-efficient and the energy source is renewable but because transport Canada has until recently dragged their feet on permitting their manufacture for the country they have only been sold in Mexico and the US. Does this make sense since we are in free trade with those countries? It actually showed that the Canadian government was behind the times using an excuse that they did not know of the plans to make the car when it was already public knowledge that they are successful elsewhere. This just proves how much we are always attached to oil producers and how difficult it can be for people to think outside the box.
Electrical cars have been around for years by the way. They were even on exhibit at the Place Boneventure over 30 years ago and shown as relatively slow cars. They were never popular probably because they required so much electrical power to operate, there was a lot of weight to pull and because of the marriage between the auto industry and oil based fuels. Today with the unpopularity of gas emissions on the streets, pollution and acid rain this type of car would be more popular today. Modern vehicles are also lighter in weight.
Today they are still slower than the speed limit allows but this would be perfect for city travel since so much of the urban traffic is supposed to be slow anyway. With fatal accidents occurring because of drunk or irresponsible driving in the city a slower speed car would allow a longer reaction time and might reduce deaths on the road.
The current Zen manufacturer will eventually be able to have these on provincial roads once he gets the go ahead from the provincial governments but it has been a long haul so far. One of the main reasons is the car's slow speed but maybe somebody can make a case at least for their use in the city core where there are many pedestrian crosswalks and make an exception for the highways. In the meantime the car is running well outside of the country.
