Changan, Electrovaya teaming up to release electric cars onto Canadian streets?

According to a report leaked by someone at Canadian electronics manufacturer Electrovaya, the company is teaming up with China's Changan Auto Group to bring a new electric car to our northern neighbor -- and it might be on the street as early as this year. Electrovaya is set to distribute the car (based on Changan's popular Ben Ben five-door) possibly making this the first automobile from the People's Republic to tap into the lucrative North American market. Of course, wheels like this won't make you any more popular with the ladies (you'd probably want a Linc Volt for that), but we're just happy that there are more green options out there.

[Via Autoblog]

[who? @ Nov 6th 2008 4:29PM]

Good thing they have free health care- electric cars are too quiete to hear coming most of the time...

[who? @ Nov 6th 2008 4:30PM]

*quiet

[gad get @ Nov 6th 2008 4:36PM]

Actually, technically it's not free, since our own tax money pays for it.

[gad get @ Nov 6th 2008 4:36PM]

It's universal health care.

[who? @ Nov 6th 2008 4:45PM]

Yeah, but the basic principle holds true. You don't need to pay for health care, the government does. It's just that the government takes a bit more cash in taxes from you.

[Alexandre Emond @ Nov 6th 2008 4:48PM]

Electric car do make tire noise when driving over 30.
You can ear the Prius when it's on electric only.

[who? @ Nov 6th 2008 4:50PM]

"most of the time"

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Nov 6th 2008 4:59PM]

Follow the only road in Canada!

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104261

[Valicore @ Nov 6th 2008 5:04PM]

The noise thing is actually a real problem for a few of my friends (that are blind). There is no way for them to judge whether or not it is safe to cross a street if there is no noise from the car.

I'm an American who believed in the Canadian health care dream lots of Americans seemed to be stuck on. Then I researched it a bit. I do not want to pay 60 percent taxes and 15 percent sales tax just so I can wait 8 months for an appointment to do anything.

[Asha @ Nov 6th 2008 5:11PM]

The health care really isn't free, but fees are scaled in regards to what your annual income is. I pay about $50 per month, but, considering how much it costs to simply walk in the door of an emergency room (about $300, not including anything such as tests or staying) if you don't have the Medical Plan, it is worth it.

There should be something they could do about the electric cars, but, anything that would make sound, would either be annoying or wear out easily.

[gad get @ Nov 6th 2008 5:17PM]

"60 percent taxes and 15 percent sales tax"

I thought you said you researched it! Where in the world are you getting your figures?!

[Valicore @ Nov 6th 2008 5:33PM]

Sorry, my bad, I had put for the worst (prince edward island) for sales tax. Income tax I was imagining apparently.

[Rob @ Nov 6th 2008 5:47PM]

Yeah, and American's actually spend more per capita in taxes for health care than Canadians do:

http://texasimpact.org/spending+more

http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/22/3/89

[Rob @ Nov 6th 2008 5:48PM]

(How the hell did that apostrophe get in there?)

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 6th 2008 6:22PM]

Prius' aren't quiet at all. Actually, the loudest part of the car is the driver's man-purse sitting shotgun.

[jorvay @ Nov 6th 2008 6:28PM]

@Valicore
60% income tax? I did a little research of my own (as I doubt you actually did) and in about 15 seconds on google I found a Canadian tax calculator (http://lsminsurance.ca/calculators/canada/income-tax). I put in my gross income for the year and it quickly reported my income tax (I'm from Ontario) and what that tax is as a percentage of my gross income. Magic number: 19.08%. Sure is nice knowing that my public health care system isn't going to turn me away on a technicality or send me a bill for thousands upon thousands of dollars.

In fact, as an engineer, the single biggest reason I'd never work south of the border (aka the USA for those that are geographically challenged) is that I wouldn't want to take a risk with my health like that.

[James T @ Nov 6th 2008 8:05PM]

Dang, I pay more income tax in Illinois than I would in Ontario. My Illinois property tax is 4 times as much as my dads in Ontario. And I pay twice as much in property tax in Wisconsin. I'm moving back.

[hahaha @ Nov 7th 2008 2:14AM]

Asian Car Comparison Guide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ3oyo-irJ4

[phanbouy @ Nov 6th 2008 4:30PM]

Oh noes! A practical, economical car. Cue all the repressed overcompensating Mustang owners to call it boring and wimpy.

p.s. engadget, "wheels like this won't make you any more popular with the ladies". I don't want any of the gold-diggers you're referring to.

[gad get @ Nov 6th 2008 4:37PM]

That's what you say now....

[Valicore @ Nov 6th 2008 5:20PM]

Most chicks at my school would be more prone to choose the guy with the ecocar. Most guys I know aren't gonna wanna get with a chick who sleeps with guys on the basis of their cars anyway - at least not without a disinfectant bath and a comprehensive STI/STD test.

[E30 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:03PM]

Here's a fact: chicks dig money. Ferraris, Porsches... Do you really think that they are impressed with the sexy lines and engine sounds? No. Buy a hybrid Escalade, and as long as it costs over 60,000 you'll be "more popular with the ladies."

[phanbouy @ Nov 6th 2008 6:35PM]

so what you're saying is that chicks dig dudes with money? I'll tell ya what I'd do with a million dollars. Two chicks at the same time.

[jorvay @ Nov 6th 2008 6:38PM]

Chicks may dig money, but I prefer real women.

[hahaha @ Nov 7th 2008 2:17AM]

Asian Car Comparison Guide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ3oyo-irJ4

[hahaha @ Nov 7th 2008 2:17AM]

Asian Car Comparison Guide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ3oyo-irJ4

[Skazer @ Nov 8th 2008 3:41PM]

Sigh, again generalizations like that are stupid. There's plenty of evidence of many, many American drug recalls over the years. Does that mean American drugs are unsafe and that standards are extremely low? I'll try to explain this to you more clearly: this car is being sold in CANADA, and must adhere to CANADIAN safety standards. Keep the tin foil hat on.

[kjb434 @ Nov 6th 2008 4:31PM]

Can we say coffin on wheels?

I wouldn't put any of my family in that (well maybe the mother-in-law).

[phanbouy @ Nov 6th 2008 4:35PM]

You can keep your ford excursion. Me, I'll just drive all boring and safely within the speed limit and practice defensive driving. With the money I save I'll go enjoy some great food and maybe save a bit of cash during this recession.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 6th 2008 4:44PM]

After seeing this stuff I sure as hell won't be getting into one of those things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbe5ILICT4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5SRyG6UR2A

[happy_penguin @ Nov 6th 2008 4:45PM]

Oh and I originally saw that courtesy of Twitchy: http://www.engadget.com/profile/646348/

[kjb434 @ Nov 6th 2008 4:45PM]

Who says I drive a huge SUV?

I drive a 4 door sedan. A 2008 Volvo S60 to be exact.

I would feel safer in a MINI. At least they have the European safety standards which this car is missing.

[who? @ Nov 6th 2008 4:47PM]

My family has an excursion!

Then again, there are eight of us, and it beats driving two cars everywhere we go.

[phanbouy @ Nov 6th 2008 4:59PM]

btw, i get both kicks _and_ economy out of my Ninja 250. Sure I don't have a cage and airbags and stuff, but no substitute for skill, judgment, and common sense anyway. Faux sports cars seem really eye-rolling to me when I can get through the crushing CA traffic jams; _and_ enjoy the hell out of the twisties in the hills.

[AVG @ Nov 6th 2008 5:25PM]

"...but no substitute for skill, judgment, and common sense anyway."

There are still other people on the roads you use. And not all of THEM have skill, judgement, and common sense. You can't stop them from causing an accident involving you.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 6th 2008 6:18PM]

European Safety Standards tests consist of an automated Mo-Ped t-boning you at 18km/h.

[Evan @ Nov 6th 2008 6:21PM]

Here are some even scarier crash tests of older GM cars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siT-SIfOnQw&feature=related
Seats becoming disconnected and dummies literally flying out of the cars. It's a wonder that are parents survived those days.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 6th 2008 6:35PM]

OMG You aren't seriously expecting us to accept 40 year old crash test for comparison? This is the 21st century and we need 21st century safety. A lot of people didn't survive crashes who otherwise would have if they had benefited from all the technology developed by those crash tests.

[Skazer @ Nov 6th 2008 9:30PM]

It's almost as stupid as you using safety tests of different cars from different years from different companies being sold in different countries as a basis for thinking that this particular car from Changan isn't safe- just because it's a Chinese company. If everyone followed your logic, we'd assume that the Chevrolet Malibu suck since the Ford Taurus sucks.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 7th 2008 12:44AM]

Not the same thing. Chinese industrial safety records are well documented and we've seen the horrific results. By contrast, IIHS and NHTSA standards are also well documented and you know the results of their scientific tests and high standards.

[hahaha @ Nov 7th 2008 2:18AM]

Asian Car Comparison Guide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ3oyo-irJ4

[Dan @ Nov 7th 2008 2:52PM]

@Skazer

Re, Malibu/Taurus comparison:

Well, actually.....

[Dan @ Nov 7th 2008 2:53PM]

(I keed, I keed...)

[Abuzar Baloach @ Nov 6th 2008 4:34PM]

It's okay, I don't need a fancy car to impress the ladies.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 6th 2008 6:18PM]

Does your reverse psychology actually work on human women ?

[Abuzar Baloach @ Nov 6th 2008 6:47PM]

Not so much reverse psychology. A lot of it is about how the person acts and behaves.

Have you been around decent human women? Trust me, not all of them care about expensive cars and such. They do care if you are dressed nicely or not, and how confident you are.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 6th 2008 7:13PM]

I wouldn't know. I've only heard myths about these so-called 'women'.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Nov 6th 2008 8:00PM]

lol

You should get out more. They are quite fun to be with. Try your work place(if you work). Avoid bars and clubs haha.

[phanbouy @ Nov 6th 2008 8:19PM]

dude! no dipping your pen in the company ink!

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 6th 2008 8:30PM]

I've poured my coffee into the company's cups a couple times only to find out why they really call it shitting where you eat, the hard way...