Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy
Electric car banned in New Zealand because of ... the steering wheel
What's more important to the government of New Zealand, zero emissions or safety? If you ask Ulrich Schmid (pictured), he'll say that putting electric vehicles on the roads in Aotearoa is not a priority. Schmid has spent two years trying to import a $45,000 EV from Switzerland (the article doesn't specify which EV, but it might be the Smart EV). The problem is that this car has the steering wheel on the wrong side (or the Kiwis drive on the wrong side, depending on your POV) and so Schmid needs to get a special exemption to import the car. The government says that these exemptions are reserved for "classical and unique vehicles," i.e., cars that aren't regularly driven. Because Schmid wants to use the EV on a daily basis, he can't use it at all. What a world.
Related:
[Source: Simon O'Rourke / New Zealand Herald via EV World]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kert 2:57PM (9/19/2007)
why Smart ? There are MES-DEA converted electrics, like Fiat Pandas available in Switzerland as well.
Reply
Sebastian 3:41PM (9/19/2007)
Good point. Just a guess on my part.
Reply
GoodCheer 6:39PM (9/19/2007)
With any luck he'll have a whole host of RHD EVs to choose from in the next couple of years. I would think London's congestion charge exemption for EVs would draw any one building them to make a RHD version.
Reply
Mr. Moofus 1:49PM (9/20/2007)
This is a tough one:
On one hand --- Safety should count! No reason for it to take a backseat to getting an electric vehicle on the road.
On the other hand (The Right Hand Side I guess :-) ) Electrics are currently "unique" vehicles (Unless there are lots of other EV's on the market that are available in RHD). However, I would have to frown on any Electric Vehicle Manufacturer that doesn't have the foresight to produce vehicles that can be ordered as either RHD or LHD.
Reply
bioburner 4:04PM (9/21/2007)
Safety? What. The mail carrier delivers the U.S. mail to my road side mail box in a vehicle with the steering wheel on the right hand side of the car(ok small truck). If US Postal employees can drive these vehicles than anybody should be allowed to. I can't beleive the mail carriers in New Zealand don't use the same idea when they deliver their mail.
Reply
Dave Smith 6:59PM (9/30/2007)
NZ post uses bikes. And in rural situations they will use a normal car.
Reply
Gavin 5:03AM (10/05/2007)
For $45,000 he could easily convert an existing right-hand-drive car already in NZ to electricity and pocket the remaining $35,000.
Reply