Grand Bend welcomes Low Speed Vehicles

Move over Tesla. Grand Bend okays an Ontario first with the approval of LSVs for road use

GRAND BEND HAS become the first Ontario jurisdiction to approve Low Speed Vehicles ― or LSVs ― for on-road use.

The summer resort town on the shores of Lake Huron, which has been experiencing a surge in residential construction and retiree interest of late, received the green light to put the small electric vehicles on the road from the Municipality of Lambton Shores last week.

LSVs are similar to golf carts but have features of standard vehicles, including headlight and windshield wipers. The province first established pilot program guidelines for LSVs back in 2017, and the LSVs approved for use in Grand Bend meet all the requirements set out in the guidelines.

LSVs can only travel at a speed up to 40 km/h and can only be driven on roads and highways with a maximum speed limit of up to 50 km/h. And just like a car, the LSV must be licensed, insured and driven by a licensed driver ― and the vehicles cannot be tampered with to exceed the 40 km/h upper limit. 

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Retired Grand Bend businesspersons Don Liley and Dave Marr were the driving force behind the approval. The pair, working with an LSV manufacturer in Vernon, B.C., established eCartsOntario and put in the legwork to get certification for the Ontario market under the Ministry of Transport Ontario LSV Pilot, saying the small electric vehicles “would be great for getting around town or running errands.”

One of the conditions of the pilot program is that local municipalities must approve the use of LSV’s and support their use with a bylaw.

Commenting on the municipal approval, Dave Maguire, Lambton Shores Ward 1 councillor, says, “I look forward to seeing how LSVs are received by the community. LSVs compliment the current offerings of e-vehicles to the public and we have the opportunity to become a leader in this endeavour.”

eCartsOntario is offering a number of LSV configurations, including two-, four- and six-seaters (and even one that functions as a pickup), ranging in price from around $13,500 to $16,500.