Category Archives: golf car

Road Use Regulations Round Up

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This round up features some action in Canada, Wisconsin, Colorado and some other states as well as signs of growing interest in medium speed vehicle regulations.

Grand Chute, WI – Town asking state for help regarding the use of NEVs on some of the many roads under state jurisdiction that criss-cross the city.

Loveland, CO – House Bill 1026, which would allow neighborhood electric vehicles on public highways, passed the Judiciary Committee and will be going to a House vote.

North Vancouver, Canada – City council rejects staff recommendations to wait for additional LSV safety standards before allowing vehicles on roads.

Sedona, AZ – Public transportation commission recommends feasibility study to look at NEVs as a public transportation option.

British Columbia, Canada – Motor vehicle regulations amended to allow incidental use of roads by utility vehicles during their normal off-road use.

Kennebunk, ME – ZAP Xebra three-wheeled truck doesn’t pass registration as a motorcycle and therefore cannot be legally driven. Amendment to address issue in process.

Flower Mound, TX – Transportation commission is urged to look at LSV regulations in anticipation of increased usage of the vehicles.

Denver, CO – State Senate bill aims to create uniform road use regulations for LSVs

South Daytona, FL – After a favorable feasibility study, city officials are moving ahead on allowing golf carts to be used on city streets.

Manitoba, Canada – Manitoba province is looking at enacting similar legislation as Ontario and Quebec to allow LSVs on public roads.

Merrill, WI – City officials are drafting legislation to allow NEVs on public roads with speed limits of 35mph or less

Medium Speed Vehicle Regulations – At the end of February nine states were considering medium speed vehicle laws: Hawaii, New Mexico, Kentucky, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Georgia and Colorado. Speed limits proposed ranged from 35mph to 50 mph with most at 45 mph. Five states who have already adopted MSEV laws include Washington, Montana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Connecticut – Some State Representatives are pushing to legalize NEVs

NEVs Become A Point Of Attack On Stimulus Bill

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Numerous blogs and websites are recycling the same political spin in opposition to the stimulus bill.  Typically the headline includes the phrase “$300 million for golf carts”. (Here is an example)  The story then highlights NEVs from a list of electric vehicle types that would be eligible for federal funding under the bill and conflates NEVs/LSVs with golf carts.

Whether you are for or against the stimulus bill, this is another example of how various media outlets and others are blurring the line between NEVs/LSVs and golf carts.  In the past, the blurring has had more to do with vehicle safety issues.  In both cases, the blurring is to the detriment of NEV/LSV manufacturers.  If this trend continues, NEV/LSV manufacturers may have to more aggressively and clearly delineate the differences between NEVs/LSVs and golf carts in order to protect the generic NEV/LSV brand and their specific brand of NEV/LSV.

Valmet To Manufacture Luxury Golf Car For Garia

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Valmet Automotive has won a contract to engineer and manufacture a luxury golf car for Garia A/S of Denmark.  Production will begin in the third quarter of 2009 and the vehicle is expected to be on the market in 2009.

Garia Golf Car

Garia Golf Car

Total production is expected to be a “few thousand” per year in the next few years.  Valmet reports that it is investing two million euros and committing 50 people to the project.  A test fleet is already in use at a golf course in Denmark.  The electric golf car will be introduced at PGA Las Vegas in late August and then in the Middle East.

In April of 2008 Garia, which was founded in 2005 to build high end golf cars, opened sales offices in the U.S. with plans to have 15 to 20 dealers within a year.  The company is targeting the luxury golf car segment in Florida, Georgia, California and Arizona.

Valmet has previously produced vehicles for Porsche and recently won a contract to produce the Fisker Karma hybrid vehicle.  Learn more