California Allows Slow Speed Electric Cars on Big Roads

California is looking into a bill that would allow lows speed electric cars on bigger roads. The measure is a one stone, two birds deal for California.

California certainly holds a tender spot in the heart of automobile world where much of the testing, strategizing and design happens and no where is this more apparent than in this state with it insistence on cleaner fuel averages that has riled carmakers. So when we think of electric cars, we think of the Tesla Roadster, or now should I say the highway legal Model S and its healthy range limit. But one thing we rarely talk about are the entry level neighboring electric vehicles, those that can’t be driven 35.

Electric Power Comes In All Shades. There’s raw power, think the latest electric cars and motorcycles, and then there is a locomotion means that happens to use electricity with a decent torque called a low speed electric car. These little gems, pun intended have certainly found a strong taking along the Californian beach community scenery, while the Miles Electric vehicles has swarmed all education campuses. And why not drive for a few pennies on the mile with a very affordable daily driver. The caveat? You can’t go past 35mph. Is that a big deal? Probably more so in the ways you expect than in ways you would.

Politicians Swoop In With An Answer. If too slow is too slow and faster is not affordable, then how about that Medium Speed Electric Vehicles (MSEV)? How’s that for yet another acronym? More to the point, Assembly Bill 225 wouldn't let you drive on freeways with your Medium Speed, oh what is it, that electric urban hopper. What it would do is let you drive on those streets where the speed limit is 45.

If you’re still a little confused, here’s a better worded explanation from Assembly member Brian Nestande via UTSanDiego: "In the past few years, many companies have started building electric vehicles that look like small cars, vans and trucks, but are sold as LSVs (low-speed vehicles) because that is the only classification available," Nestande and Medina said in a joint news release. "However, MSEVs can travel faster than the 25 mph LSV limit, and can be made significantly safer than the open 'golf cart' type vehicle."

So not only it will boost up sales of LSV with more MSV and allow those who already have them now to use those quicker routes in cities. Very smart move Sacremento to make California electric car life better!