A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is a U.S. denomination for battery electric vehicles that are legally limited to roads with posted speed limits as high as 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) depending on the particular laws of the state, usually are built to have a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), and have a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg). NEVs fall under the United States Department of Transportation classification for low-speed vehicles.
A NEV battery pack recharges by plugging into a standard outlet and because it is an all-electric vehicle it does not produce tailpipe emissions. If recharged from clean energy sources such as solar or wind power, NEVs do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. In the state of California NEVs are classified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as zero emissions vehicles (ZEV) and are eligible for a purchase rebate of up to $1,500 if purchased or leased on or after March 15, 2010.
Pike Research estimated there were 478,771 NEVs on the world roads in 2011. As of December 2010, the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle is the market leader, with global sales of more than 45,000 units. The two largest NEV markets in 2011 were the United States, with 14,737 units sold, and France, with 2,231 units.
Read more about Neighborhood Electric Vehicle: U.S. Regulations, Community Design, Sales, Examples
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