Proposed legislation would see 100 ZEV sales in 2035
Trudeau says mandates will help improve supply
The federal government is sticking to its proposed EV sales mandates, but upping incentives is not part of the plan. PM Justin Trudeau spoke about EVs while touring a Stellantis assembly plant in Windsor yesterday.
“We know Canadians want to be able to buy electric vehicles; that’s why mandates are so important,” Trudeau said to reporters after his tour of the plant (via AutoNews Canada). “But that’s also why we need to make sure we’re building up a world-leading [EV battery] ecosystem in North America to deliver those. And I don’t think anyone ever faulted Canadians for being too ambitious.”
Instead, he says, the government is focused on making Canada a leader in the EV industry. “As Wayne Gretzky said, ‘where the puck is going, not where it is right now.’ The world is going in that direction. And Canadians are not just going to follow; we’re going to lead through it. And that’s what people want to see.”
The proposed legislation would require 20 percent of all vehicles sold in Canada to be zero emissions by 2026, though that includes PHEVs. By 2030, the mandate would be 60 percent, and 100 percent by 2035.
Trudeau spoke about the shortages keeping Canadians from buying more EVs rather than about increasing the $5,000 federal EV rebate. “One of the challenges people are facing right now is really long wait lists for electric vehicles,” he said. “We know that the demand is super high.” Mandates are said to be able to help that availability by giving automakers a good reason to send supply to Canada rather than another country.
EV shoppers in Quebec, where demand for the vehicles is highest, are already benefitting from the province’s mandate. Several automakers are prioritizing Quebec for their EV deliveries, rather than face fines for not hitting targets.
