Saint-Jérôme, Quebec - The atmosphere was electric at the ZENN factory in Saint-Jérôme On Saturday, October 4. Several hundred people had been invited to the inauguration of the manufacturer's commercial operations in Canada, and they got to try out the little electric car assembled there.
"Our goal today isn't to sell cars," said Gilles Allard, vice-president of Operations at ZENN Motor Company (ZMC). "We want consumers to become acquainted with our product and understand its virtues."
Low-speed vehicles (LSV) like the ZENN do in fact have limitations that one should be aware of before committing to the buy. In Quebec, the first province to authorize its use on public roads, the ZENN can only travel on roads with a 50 km/h speed limit. What's more, because the lead batteries are sensitive to low temperatures, officials at ZMC recommend the purchase of a ZENN only if you have a heated parking area.
Curious consumers from all over
On June 17, the Quebec Minister of Transport, Julie Boulet, announced the launch of a three-year pilot project authorizing the use of LSVs in Quebec. The only approved LSVs are the ZENN and the small Nemo pickup truck, built in Sainte-Thérèse.
"Since the announcement, we've received a lot of information requests from Canadian consumers, over 500 in all," said Allard. These consumers, mostly from Quebec but also from Ontario, were invited to the event. Several hundred turned up in Saint-Jérôme, some of them coming from as far as Berthier-sur-Mer and Sept-Îles as well as Ontario. "Ontarians are naturally interested in the project, as we'll undoubtedly soon be seeing the launch of a similar one in Ontario," added Allard.
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| Ian Clifford (l), president of the ZENN Motor Company and Gilles Allard, vice-president of Operations. |
"Our goal today isn't to sell cars," said Gilles Allard, vice-president of Operations at ZENN Motor Company (ZMC). "We want consumers to become acquainted with our product and understand its virtues."
Low-speed vehicles (LSV) like the ZENN do in fact have limitations that one should be aware of before committing to the buy. In Quebec, the first province to authorize its use on public roads, the ZENN can only travel on roads with a 50 km/h speed limit. What's more, because the lead batteries are sensitive to low temperatures, officials at ZMC recommend the purchase of a ZENN only if you have a heated parking area.
Curious consumers from all over
On June 17, the Quebec Minister of Transport, Julie Boulet, announced the launch of a three-year pilot project authorizing the use of LSVs in Quebec. The only approved LSVs are the ZENN and the small Nemo pickup truck, built in Sainte-Thérèse.
"Since the announcement, we've received a lot of information requests from Canadian consumers, over 500 in all," said Allard. These consumers, mostly from Quebec but also from Ontario, were invited to the event. Several hundred turned up in Saint-Jérôme, some of them coming from as far as Berthier-sur-Mer and Sept-Îles as well as Ontario. "Ontarians are naturally interested in the project, as we'll undoubtedly soon be seeing the launch of a similar one in Ontario," added Allard.
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| Canadian consumers visited the ZENN plant to tested an elelctric microcar. |