![Slow moving vehicle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Slow_moving_vehicle.svg)
In the United States and Canada, low-speed vehicle (LSV) regulations allow relaxed design and registration laws for four-wheel vehicles that have a maximum capable speed of about . Several other countries have similar regulations.
Canada
Under Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations, a low-speed vehicle is defined as a vehicle, other than an all-terrain vehicle, a truck or a vehicle imported temporarily for special purposes, that is powered by an electric motor, produces no emissions, is designed to travel on 4 wheels and has an attainable speed in 1.6 km of more than but not more than on a paved level surface.
Low-speed vehicles are currently street legal in British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario.
SC Carts was the first Canadian manufacturer to begin producing street legal low-speed vehicles.
France
Quadricycles (the EU vehicle classification covering this type of vehicle) can be driven without a car licence, and are known as ''voitures sans permis'' (VSP), literally “cars without licence”. Despite this name, drivers must first sit a written road-safety exam, and be at least 14 years old before legally being allowed to drive this type of vehicle.
Philippines
The Philippines Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has created a Low-Speed Vehicle category for four--wheeled motor vehicles that use alternative fuel (such as electricity) and have a maximum speed of .
This regulation was created for the E-jeepney electric-powered minibuses, which were introduced in 2007. The E-jeepney carries 17 passengers and can run 120 km on an 8-hour charge from an electric outlet.
United States
![2019 Moke America eMoke, front left (Amagansett)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/2019_Moke_America_eMoke%2C_front_left_%28Amagansett%29.jpg)
The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...
has published safety guidelines in the United States which apply to vehicles operating in the 20–25 mile-per-hour speed range.
Low-speed vehicles are defined as a four-wheeled motor vehicle that has a
gross vehicle weight rating
Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity.
Curb or kerb weight
Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...
of less than and a top speed of between .
States which have specific regulations for LSVs include Alaska, California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine Maryland, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Washington, DC.
Nearly all 50 states allow LSVs, also called
Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), to drive on their roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or less.
[Saporito, Bill. "Slow Riders. Souped-up golf carts hit the streets", ''Time'' magazine, August 22, 2011, p. 52] Either they follow FMVSS500 (25 mph top speed on 35 mph limit roads), or make their own more aggressive law. Because of federal law, car dealers cannot legally sell the vehicles to go faster than ,
but the buyer can easily modify the car to go . However, if modified to exceed , the vehicle then becomes subject to additional safety requirements.
These speed restrictions, combined with a typical driving range of per charge and a typical three-year
battery durability
An electric battery is a source of electric power consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections for powering electrical devices.
When a battery is supplying power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negati ...
, are required because of a lack of federally mandated safety equipment and features which NEVs cannot accommodate because of their design. To satisfy federal safety requirements for manufacturers, NEVs must be equipped with three-point
seat belt
A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduc ...
s or a lap belt, running lights,
headlight
A headlamp is a lamp (electrical component), lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage (language), usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the ...
s, brake lights, reflectors,
rear view mirror
A rear-view mirror (or rearview mirror) is a flat mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's rear window (rear windshield).
In cars, the rear-view mirror is usually affixed to ...
s, and
turn signal
The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted to or integrated into the front, rear, sides, and in some cases the top of a motor vehicle. They illuminate the road ahead for the driver and increase th ...
s; windshield wipers are not required. In many cases, doors may be optional, crash protection from other vehicles is partially met compared to other non-motorized transport such as bicycles because of the use of seat belts. In 2011, a ''Time'' magazine article concluded that the lack of passenger safety protection made most LSVs unfit for city driving, despite their excellent maneuverability.
[
]
Short commute vehicles
Short commute vehicle (SCV) is a term sometimes used for vehicles that are used for regular trips of or less. The term "ultra small vehicle" is also used for similar styles of vehicle.
SCVs are faster than —walking pace—and not regulated by other Motor Vehicle Legislation. It would include vehicles regulated under FMVSS500 (USA Low Speed Vehicle Regulation), CMVSS500 (Canadian Low Speed Vehicle Regulation) and certain L-category vehicles (Quadricycle L6 and L7) in the EU. Battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, wi ...
s (BEV) are highly suited as Short Commute Vehicles due to their inherent short operating range; however, SCVs do not have to be BEVs.
Since 2010, the American Association of Retired Persons
AARP (formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons) is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. The organization said it had more than 38 million members in 2018. The magazin ...
and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collision ...
have expressed concerns about mixed traffic flows including this class of vehicle.Low Speed Vehicles and Minitrucks shouldn't share busy Public Roads with Regular Traffic
/ref>
China
See also
* Battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, wi ...
* Golf cart
A golf cart (alternatively known as a golf buggy or golf car) is a small motorized vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course with less effort than walking. Over time, variants were introduced t ...
* Medium speed vehicle Medium-speed vehicle (MSV) is a vehicle registration category in some states of the United States where applicable vehicles are allowed to travel on roads at speeds up to . The safety regulations for MSVs are more stringent than those for Low-speed ...
* Neighborhood electric vehicle
* Quadricycle
Quadricycle refers to vehicles with four wheels.
In 1896 Henry Ford named his first vehicle design the "Quadricycle". it ran on four bicycle wheels, with an engine driving the back wheels.Brinkley, David, ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His ...
s
References
{{reflist, 30em
Vehicle law
ca:Microcotxe
da:Kabinescooter
es:Microcoche
fr:Voiture sans permis
it:Microcar
nl:Brommobiel
ja:バブルカー
no:Mopedbil
ru:Мотоколяска
fi:Kevyt nelipyörä