Toronto, Ontario – Recently, a Toronto real estate company has banned the use of EVs on their properties continuing an ongoing debate about the future safety of lithium ion batteries.
Oberon Development Corporation, a real estate company with multiple properties in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood recently posted notices at 110 and 120 Jameson Ave. stating that electric vehicles–from cars to E-bikes and scooters–will not be permitted in apartments, garages, parking spaces and lockers.
The ban is in response to the perceived risk of fire hazards that the lithium-ion batteries in EVs could pose.
While E-scooters have been banned in the City of Toronto since 2021, city council is re-examining that position, and the ban has not stopped the vehicles from being widely used throughout the city alongside other electric vehicle counterparts.
While lithium-ion batteries are frequently used in consumer electronics, the batteries in EVs are often more prone to damage due to potential collision risks.
Still, under the Residential Tenancies Act, renters at the affected buildings may be able to push back against the ban as it could infringe on their right to the “reasonable enjoyment” of the premises. Individuals who rely on electric vehicles due to health or mobility issues may also be able to challenge the ban as infringing on their human rights.
Apartments aren’t the only ones hoping to ban EVs, it appears. In a recent survey in Collision Repair magazine, one anonymous reader said they were ready to refuse EVs if a claim were to enter their shop.
