NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

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zerogas
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NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

Kentucky State Governor Steve Beshears has signed a bill to allow low speed 3-4 wheel electric vehicles to travel the same roads as everyone else in Kentucky! In some areas special low speed lanes will be added while the NEV's will be allowed to travel on roads with posted speed limits of 45MPH or less. This is a good deal for Kentucky!

zerogas
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

I should have known there was a hidden agenda behind the move....
http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/2008/08/beshear-opening-ky-roads-to-low-speed-electric-vehicles.html
Still, it's a step in the right direction.

Keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up.

reikiman
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

As you noted there's been a hidden agenda

With the order, Beshear hopes that Kentucky will land a ZAP (Zero Air Polution) electric car manufacturing plant that would cost more than $100 million to build and equip.

Randy Waldman, chief executive officer of Integrity Manufacturing in Bullitt County, said ZAP, which now makes vehicles in China, will announce by the middle of this month where it wants to locate an American facility.

He said the choice is between Kentucky and Indiana and that ZAP is looking at several sites in Kentucky, including a plot in Simpson County that the company has already secured an option to buy.

I've seen quite a few articles on this and have been interested, as a former Kentucky resident. The initial articles I read indicated that someone who is a potential ZAP dealer needed to get state legislature approval for these vehicles to be on Kentucky roads. And that part of selling the state on this change, he claimed ZAP wants to locate a factory in Kentucky (run by Integrity). However there was a quote from Alex Campbell, ZAP's spokesperson and a nice guy who's worked with Gary Starr for a couple decades (I met Alex once), which said something like they didn't know of such a deal or else that there wasn't much solid to the plan or else that he simply wasn't at liberty to discuss the deal (it's been 2-3 weeks since those articles came out and I don't quite recall the words).

Oh, and to get legislature approval they had to call a special legislature session. Kentucky's legislature meets for a short time every other year and to get things done in-between requires calling a special session.

zerogas
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

Well, I just saw on the news this morning that this was happening. I took 10 seconds to google it and found the above. That's all I really know, but it is interesting.

Keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up.

spinningmagnets
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

FINALLY ! somebody is DOING something !

Often, everybody waits for someone else to take the first step, and then the pioneers take the brunt of whatever precedents are set. Once a workable paradigm works itself out, the majority then falls in line with what actually works.

Correct me if I'm wrong...a NEV can go up to 25 MPH, and a "City Car" can travel 45 MPH (but no freeways)? Terms can vary by region...

In order to get real-world EV's on the road, I think we need more city cars (at least, at first). Instead of demanding a cheap car that will do anything we want gasoline cars to do (do NOT hold your breath for that), we should work towards a do-able solution that fits an EV's current affordable profile, then expand from there.

reikiman
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

In most places in the U.S. the 'NEV' is defined as four wheels and 25 miles per hour max. Think 'GEMCAR'. Some places define them as 35 miles per hour max. They are unable to go on fast roads.

There's a definition for 'Medium Speed Vehicle' which I think some places are defining as kinda what you mean by 'city car', an MSV being still speed limited but with a 35 or 40 miles/hr max.

The Xebra's are in a different ballpark by having only 3 wheels and most places define those to be motorcycles.

It was recently learned that Massachussets has definitions that make Xebra's illegal because they have a roof. Apparently MA didn't have a clue that such things as "cabin scooters" exist and think the only motorcycles are those where the rider is open to the air.

Tireiron55
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

This is good news. I hope it spreads. WV borders Kentucky, so I hope we adopt this policy soon. Commuters to Huntington, WV from Kentucky will push for it. And hopefully the state will follow.

I bent my wheel, broke my trans, and blew my motor. Now I cry a lot.

zerogas
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

There is NO way I'd ride a scooter in the mountains of WV. My wife is from there, so I've seen the coal trucks barreling down the roads as fast as they can go. Be EXTRA CAREFUL!

Keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up.

Tireiron55
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Re: NEV's Soon Allowed on Kentucky Roads

It's okay, I'm not on any coal truck root. I get some dump trucks from a new apartment complex they are building next to my place. I've got the scooter now running about 15mph up any hill, so it's not too bad.

I emailed my house representative about the problems around here with the scooter and this bill thats just past in Kentucky. He wants a copy of the bill to look at. Can anyone help me find that? I also complained about all the cops around here (Morgantown) driving Durangos. They need to drive Interpids like Star City cops. He said I had a good point. I'm happy.

I bent my wheel, broke my trans, and blew my motor. Now I cry a lot.

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