VICTORIA -- The sleepy, well-heeled enclave of Oak Bay is poised to become the first municipality in Canada to legalize the use of "low-speed" electric vehicles on its streets.
Oak Bay councillors this week voted unanimously in favour of a new bylaw that would grant electric vehicles with a maximum speed of 40 kilometres an hour the same traffic rights as all other vehicles in the municipality.
"What we're trying to do is simply push the envelope on this issue," said Oak Bay Mayor Christopher Causton. "Council is saying, 'we don't want to stand in the way of new technology.' If someone is developing this, we want to encourage that."
Oak Bay's bylaw, slated for final approval Aug. 18, was made possible by recent provincial legislation allowing low-speed electric cars on all streets with a speed limit of 40 kilometres an hour, and giving individual municipalities the option of allowing vehicles that travel 50 km/h.
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Oak Bay, half-surrounded by water and not bisected by any major thoroughfares, has no roads with a speed limit higher than 50 km/h.
Low-speed electric vehicles are specifically designed to travel between 32 and 40 km/h. However, since they must meet provincial Motor Vehicle Act safety standards to travel on public roads, vehicles such as golf carts do not qualify and will not be affected by the new bylaw.
Prior to the new provincial regulations, which took effect June 6, all low-speed electric vehicles on B.C. roads were required to display a fluorescent orange warning triangle and a "flashing, non-rotating" light and drive as close as possible to the roadside.
Transportation Ministry spokesperson Lisanne Bowness said the revised legislation is aimed at encouraging drivers to go electric.
"B.C. supports the widespread use of electric vehicles, as long as they are approved by Transport Canada," she said.
Randy Holmquist, owner of Canadian Electric Vehicles in Errington on Vancouver Island, called Oak Bay's move a positive development, but complained that government regulators are taking too long to catch up with new technology.
Mr. Holmquist's product line includes a low-speed electric vehicle called the Mighty Truck, 13 of which were recently purchased by the University of British Columbia.
However, the Mighty Truck's use is limited by a Transport Canada rule that allows low-speed electric cars, but prohibits low-speed electric trucks on public roads.
Transport Canada has promised to address the issue, but offered no firm timeline, Mr. Holmquist said.
"I won't be able to sell them in Oak Bay even after they change their bylaw."
There are no restrictions on electric cars capable of travelling the posted speed limit on major roads, providing they are built to the same safety standards as gasoline-powered vehicles, Mr. Holmquist added.
Cars fitted with high-end electric conversion kits are capable of travelling at speeds of up to 150 km/h, but must be recharged every 30-80 km, Mr. Holmquist said.
Conversion kits cost between $8,000 and $16,000 and there are currently at least a dozen such vehicles on B.C. roads, he estimated.
While electric cars will help reduce noise pollution in Oak Bay, Mr. Causton is also concerned that ultraquiet electric vehicles will catch pedestrians off guard, especially those who are visually impaired and rely on hearing traffic to stay safe.
However, he said lack of noise is also a safety issue with hybrid-electric vehicles and suggested that the environmental tradeoff is worth the risk.
"When you look at the opportunity to reduce emissions, it's something people might have to get used to," he said.
The idea of expanding electric car use has piqued the interest of other politicians in the region as well.
At their board meeting yesterday, Capital Regional District directors discussed a "model bylaw" aimed at encouraging other area municipalities to follow Oak Bay's lead.
Saanich Councillor Susan Brice, chair of the CRD environment committee, acknowledged there are questions about how such a bylaw would apply in municipalities with main roads and higher speed limits, but said those issues can be overcome.
"The region is more than just 14 Oak Bays, it's more complex than that, but I'm also confident we can find solutions," said Ms. Brice, a former MLA.
Along Oak Bay Avenue yesterday, where electric scooters glide up and down the sidewalks with impunity, local residents indicated strong support for the move.
"I'm all for electric cars. There's nothing wrong with 30 miles an hour," said long-time Oak Bay resident Stan Fisher. "People around here don't want a lot of speed."
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