Garia LSV Luxury Golf Car Goes Street Legal

Smaller electrical vehicles such as NEVs (neighborhood electric vehicles) or LSVs (low speed vehicles) are expected to gain a market share of over 70% in the US by 2012. The Garia LSV is on its way to getting a big slice of this commercial market, as the street legal version has now been introduced on the North American market.

The Garia will be fitted with street legal safety equipment such as seatbelts and side mirrors, and it also has a hydraulic brake system.

Manufactured at the same factory that builds the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, the Garia LSV features a drivetrain that is built by the same Italian company which produces the Ducati gearboxes, and its on-board fridge is the same found in the Maybach.

The aluminum profiles in the frame are made by the same company that supplies aluminum profiles to Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo. Furthermore, the golf cart is fitted with hydraulic brakes on all four wheels with discs in the front and drums at the rear.

"The Garia LSV is ideal for shorter trips and recreational purposes and it is possible to drive directly from your home to, for example, the golf course. This is something many people will appreciate, and it makes The Garia LSV a unique product," Anders Lynge, Creative Director of Garia A/S and designer of The Garia, said in a release.

The LSV is powered by a 3-phase AC motor developing 3 kW (4 hp) for 60 minutes, while the maximum speed is 15 mph/24 km/h (6 mph/11 km/h in reverse).

The Garia LSV will go on sale in the US in August 2010, with pricing details to be announced at a later date.