Latest news with #EVmandate
National Post
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- National Post
Jesse Kline: Carney can have my gas car when he pries it from my cold, dead hands
Article content Of all the coercive environmental policies implemented by the Trudeau government, the electric vehicle mandate was among the worst, but Prime Minister Mark Carney has been mum on whether Ottawa still intends to force Canadians to ride around in souped-up Power Wheels. Article content As industry and consumers have been putting pressure on the federal government to scrap the mandate — which will require 20 per cent of all new cars and trucks sold in this country to be zero-emission by next year, increasing to 100 per cent in 2035 — last week, the federal government offered a faint glimmer of hope that it may rethink this choice-limiting policy. Article content Article content Article content Following a meeting between Carney and the CEOs of Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, a spokesperson for the environment minister told the Post that Ottawa is 'engaging with the provinces, territories and industry to make sure that our measures reflect times we are in.' Article content Article content It's admittedly not much to go on, but there should be no doubt that much has changed since the Liberals introduced the EV mandate in late 2023. When Environment Canada announced the new regulations, it said they were designed to 'ensure that the supply of (EVs) being sold in Canada keeps up with consumer demand,' while paradoxically promising that the move would 'enhance choice.' Article content But a year and a half later, that demand has failed to materialize. According to a Transport Canada report from last year, even in the absence of a government mandate, automakers had 'significantly increased and continue to invest in their (EV) manufacturing output,' leading to 'significant inventory improvements.' Article content Article content Yet, per Statistics Canada, EVs — which include those powered by electricity, hydrogen and hybrid engines — made up just 7.5 per cent of all new vehicles sold in April, a decline of 28.5 per cent from the same period in 2024. Article content Article content Part of this decline may be due to the loss of the $5,000 subsidy Ottawa was offering to EV buyers, after the government ran through its $3-billion budget to help rich people put fancy new Teslas in their driveways in January. But it puts a lie to the idea that Canadians would be buying EVs in droves, if only automakers were willing to sell them. Article content If the mandate is going to be updated to 'reflect' current circumstances, it also needs to take into account changes that have been taking place south of the border. Article content In the United States, sales have been slumping, as well, despite deep discounts offered by carmakers, with some EVs selling for noticeably less than their gas-powered alternatives, and most government supports still in place. Article content When the Liberals announced the new regulations, they noted that California also had a plan to require all new vehicles to be electric by 2035 and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had proposed emissions standards designed to encourage EV adoption.
Globe and Mail
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Environment group warns against repealing federal EV mandate
An environmental think tank is warning the federal government against repealing its electric vehicle mandate, instead suggesting that politicians should be helping to put more EVs on the road. In a statement published Friday, Clean Energy Canada gave three recommendations to the federal government to help deliver affordable EVs to Canadians for less than $40,000. The group, based out of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, said Ottawa should retool its EV mandate by revisiting its near-term targets to help the auto sector 'weather this temporary storm' of slumping EV sales. 'Any additional flexibility added in the regulation should be designed to achieve other EV-related goals, such as delivering more affordable EVs and building out Canada's charging network,' says the statement by executive director Rachel Doran and director of public affairs Joanna Kyriazis. The plea comes on the heels of auto manufacturing leaders meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, in which the CEOs repeated their calls for the mandate to be repealed. Starting next year, the mandate would require 20 per cent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be zero-emission vehicles. Those also include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The target rises annually to 100 per cent by 2035. Recent data from Statistics Canada suggests EVs accounted for 7.53 per cent of all new vehicles sold in April. Following the meeting, the head of an organization representing Ford Canada, GM Canada and Stellantis said he was 'cautiously optimistic' the government would take action on the mandate. Clean Energy Canada also called on Ottawa to re-fund the EV incentive program, but to be clearer as to when the program will be phased out. The government launched the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program in 2019, which gave car buyers up to $5,000 toward the cost of an electric vehicle. The program was abruptly suspended back in January when its funding ran out. It has left many dealerships on the hook for the rebate if they hadn't already sent in their claim before the program ended. The federal government put nearly $3 billion into the program during its lifespan. 'The rebate should start at $5,000 and decline by $1,000 each year, providing consumers and automakers with a well-communicated phaseout that avoids periods of artificially lowered EV sales as buyers await the return of rebates or at least clarity,' Clean Energy Canada says. A similar policy is in place in Quebec. Federal ministers have said in recent months that the government was working toward bringing back consumer incentives on EVs. Opinion: Ottawa, bring back Canada's EV incentive program Those promises faced criticism from automakers themselves because, without implementing a rebate, EV sales are slumping further, as buyers wait for the rebates to come back. Clean Energy Canada also called on the federal government to reconsider its approach to cheaper EVs from China, which are subject to a 100 per cent tariff which took effect in October. Ottawa is scheduled to review the measure later this year. 'Allowing in a limited quota of these affordable vehicles while also recognizing EU-approved vehicles … would open Canada's vehicle market to fill important market gaps, drive innovation and ultimately make our auto sector more competitive,' the group says.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Environment group warns against repealing federal electric vehicle mandate
OTTAWA — An environmental think tank is warning the federal government against repealing its electric vehicle mandate. In a statement published Friday, Clean Energy Canada said if Ottawa was going to change the mandate, it should be done with near-term adjustments to help the auto sector "weather this temporary storm" of slumping EV sales. The plea comes on the heels of auto manufacturing leaders meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, in which the CEOs repeated their calls for the mandate to be repealed. Starting next year, 20 per cent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada must be zero-emission vehicles — those also include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The target rises annually to 100 per cent by 2035. The most recent data from Statistics Canada shows EVs accounted for 7.53 per cent of all new vehicles sold in April. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2025. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
CBC
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Automakers want Canada to scrap its EV sales mandate. What would that do to emissions?
Automakers push Ottawa to drop EV mandates 1 day ago Duration 1:57 Social Sharing When Prime Minister Mark Carney met with automotive sector CEOs Wednesday about U.S. trade negotiations, one of the key issues the industry said they wished to discuss was the government's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The mandate requires a certain percentage of light duty vehicles — passenger cars, SUVs and trucks — that are sold to be either fully-electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, starting with 20 per cent in 2026 and rising to 100 per cent by 2035. Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, told CBC News on the way to the meeting that "The targets that have been established cannot be met" given current market forces. He later added that Canada already has other policies to meet its greenhouse gas emission targets. Burning fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel is the main cause of climate change, and transportation is the second-biggest source of emissions in Canada after the oil and gas industry. The ZEV mandate is part of Canada's strategy to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and decarbonize the transportation sector. But if the mandate were scrapped, analysts say that would hurt efforts to fight climate change — and make it harder to find an EV for sale in parts of the country. Here's a closer look at why. How big a deal are emissions from passenger vehicles? In 2023, transportation accounted for 23 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike some sectors that have cut emissions since 1990, transportation emissions have grown 33 per cent, driven by both freight heavy-duty trucks and passenger light trucks. Passenger vehicles alone accounted for about 12 per cent of Canada's emissions in 2023. The Canadian Climate Institute, a climate policy think-tank partly funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, modelled 60 potential net-zero scenarios and found that switching to zero-emission vehicles was central to every one. Arthur Zhang, senior research associate at the institute, said EVs are "one of the most reliable technologies we have for reducing emissions in the transportation sector." WATCH | Canada's plan to phase out gas-powered cars and trucks Canada's plan to phase out gas-powered car and truck sales by 2035 2 years ago Duration 2:04 How would the ZEV mandate increase EV adoption? It aims to solve a few problems. One of the challenges up until now has been the lack of availability of electric vehicles in many parts of Canada. In a recent interview, Cara Clairman, president and CEO of Plug'n Drive, an organization focused on public education about EVs, said in many parts of Canada, it's still impossible to find an EV to test drive, due to low availability at dealerships. The exceptions are B.C. and Quebec, which have their own ZEV sales mandates. "That means more dealers have [electric] cars," she said. "If the vehicles are on the lots, you know, they sell more EVs. That's just the reality." Zhang said the mandate signals government support for the EV transition and gives manufacturers the push to focus on electric vehicles even during periods of slower demand, such as now. EVs accounted for 7.53 per cent of all new vehicles sold in April, down from a peak of 18.29 per cent in December 2024, now that federal, Quebec and B.C. rebates are gone. The federal government says a new rebate program is in the works, which consumers are waiting for, and Kingston says that's hurting EV sales right now. Electric vehicles are becoming easier to find in Canada, but not easier to afford 1 year ago Duration 1:54 Electric vehicles are becoming easier to find at Canadian auto dealers, but they are still more expensive than most gas-powered vehicles. EV experts encourage drivers to consider fuel savings and provincial incentives as they mull over their next car purchase. And he said it could also potentially lower the price of EVs, as manufacturers and importers boost the price of gas-burning vehicles relative to EVs and "cross-subsidize" them in order to meet sales targets. Ross McKitrick, an economics professor at the University of Guelph and an unpaid senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, predicted such a markup of gas vehicles in a recent study modelling the economic impacts of the ZEV mandate. However, he found that the extra markup from gas-burning vehicles would be offset by lower overall sales due to higher vehicle prices overall (reducing the size of Canada's vehicle fleet by 0.6 per cent by 2050). Manufacturers or importers can also earn credits toward the target by selling more EVs ahead of time, overshooting the target some years, or installing EV charging infrastructure, which could also help boost demand for EVs. However, those who don't meet the targets even with the credits would face penalties. Road to EV adoption: Why experts think the future is still electric 10 months ago Duration 5:47 Recent headlines have suggested that consumers are losing interest in electric vehicles, but a closer look at the trends tells a different story. CBC's Nisha Patel breaks down where we're at in the EV transition and why experts say the future is still electric. What impact would the mandate have on emissions? McKitrick's study found that initially, the impact would be modest, as people's cars age slowly before needing replacement. But by 2050, the EV mandate will have cut Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by roughly eight per cent compared to a "base scenario" without an EV mandate. That's large, considering that passenger vehicles make up 12 per cent of emissions right now, and emissions would already be declining due to some adoption of EVs. McKitrick said scrapping the mandate would mean forgoing that eight per cent cut to emissions. Couldn't other policies cut emissions if the ZEV mandate gets scrapped? Zhang said government subsidies such as funding for EV charging infrastructure and rebates for people buying EVs can make a difference, but those work better as complementary policies: "They are not substitutes to the mandate as far as emissions reductions go," he said. He added that subsidies rely on taxpayer dollars, which may be less efficient than a policy to encourage manufacturers to make EVs more attractive. On the other hand, McKitrick calculated that the ZEV mandate would be roughly 10 times more expensive per tonne of carbon abated than the former federal carbon tax, which Prime Minister Mark Carney eliminated in March – although the ZEV mandate's "cost" would fall to zero once EVs and gas cars cost the same. That's already the case in some places outside Canada, Zhang said. WATCH | The North American fight against cheap Chinese EVs, explained The North American fight against cheap Chinese EVs, explained | About That 10 months ago Duration 9:04 Canada is stepping in line with the U.S. and imposing 100 per cent tariffs on all electric vehicles coming from China to combat the "unfair advantage" it has in the global marketplace. About That producer Lauren Bird explores why North America is closing the door on a massive source of cheap electric vehicles and why experts say consumers will pay the price. CORRECTION: At 1:47 in this video, we state that the cheapest Tesla on the market as of Aug. 28, 2024, in the U.S. is a Model Y for about $45,000 USD. In fact, the cheapest Tesla you can buy in the U.S. without a federal tax credit is the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive for $38,990. One strategy to boost EV sales and adoption that has been proposed by academics and EV advocates has been to scrap tariffs on Chinese cars, which sell for as little as $13,000 Cdn overseas. Zhang acknowledged, "In the case where cheaper EVs are available to consumers, the EV mandate may not be as impactful."
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Automakers ‘cautiously optimistic' on EV mandate changes after meeting with Carney
Liberal leader Mark Carney reacts as he participates in a demonstration during a tour of an auto parts factory on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Vaughan, Ont. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — The head of an organization representing automakers said he's 'cautiously optimistic' after meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to urge him to repeal the electric vehicle sales mandate. Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association CEO Brian Kingston joined the CEOs of Ford Canada, Stellantis Canada and GM Canada in a meeting with the prime minister Wednesday in Ottawa. Along with discussing the impact of U.S. tariffs — the primary focus of the meeting — the automakers told Carney there's no way the industry can meet the targets set out in the EV mandate. The industry has long argued the mandate is unnecessary since Canada already has other policies to meet its emissions-reduction targets. 'Why would you put an EV mandate on top of your existing (greenhouse gas) regulations? It makes absolutely no sense,' Kingston told The Canadian Press. 'Now, what's changed since it was designed and came into force is that we've had this collapse in EV sales.' The EV sales mandate requires 20 per cent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be zero-emission as of next year. The target rises annually to 100 per cent by 2035. The most recent data from Statistics Canada shows EVs accounted for 7.53 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Canada in April. Even when aided by the popular Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program — iZEV — which offered $5,000 off the cost of a new electric vehicle, EV sales peaked at 18.29 per cent in December 2024. The iZEV rebate program was suspended back in January after the funding ran out. Sales dipped to 11.95 per cent in January as the rebate program ended, then to 6.8 per cent in February and 6.53 per cent in March, before climbing slightly in April. 'If we are going to hit the 2026 mandated target of 20 per cent EV sales, you would have to grow ZEV sales by 180,000 units,' Kingston said. 'There is simply no way that that can occur on such a short timeline, given all of the current market forces at play.' While the government has indicated it plans to bring back some form of consumer rebate for electric vehicles, Kingston said making such a promise without a firm timeline for implementation promises to undermine EV sales even further. In May, after meeting with General Motors management, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters the government was looking at bringing back 'support programs' for EVs. Last month, Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin told The Canadian Press that Ottawa is working on bringing back a rebate program specifically. The Liberal party's election platform promised to look at ways to 'reintroduce a purchase incentive worth up to $5,000.' 'Comments from ministers in the public suggesting that an EV incentive is coming back are extremely damaging,' Kingston said. 'It's a huge problem. If the government is going to bring it back, they've got to be clear about that with the plan and the timeline. And it has to be quick because if you tell people it's going to be in three months, then no one will purchase an EV for the next three months.' Kingston said bringing back the rebate program — something Hyundai CEO Steve Flamand called for in a Thursday column in the Globe and Mail — wouldn't be enough to meet the EV mandate. 'Just to give you a sense of what the cost would be if you were to try and put in place a $5,000 incentive and increase sales by an additional 180,000 vehicles to meet the 2026 target, you'd be talking about nearly a billion dollars in spending,' he said. 'That is not a sustainable policy.' The government spent nearly $3 billion over the five-year lifespan of its EV rebates program. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press
