AUTO

Canada Sets Ambitious 2035 Goal for Emissions-free Car Sales

January 2, 2023

Canada recently released some details on a major policy that would make every car sold in the country emissions-free by 2035.

It’s a bold strategy, and overall EV adoption across Canada hasn’t been as robust as in other regions. While 19% of new cars sold in the U.K. in 2021 were electric, as well as 17% in the E.U. and nearly 15% in China, Canada saw only 5.6% of new cars as being electric purchases. TD Economics argues that less generous government subsidies, a lack of charging infrastructure, and limited model selection are some of the reasons why EVs haven’t quite captured the imaginations of Canadian and U.S. buyers.

But the Toronto Star looks to British Columbia and Quebec as examples of how using province-level measures to bolster the supply and demand of EVs can be successful. They cite that 1 in 5 cars sold in B.C. in the third quarter of 2022 were electric compared to Ontario’s 1 in 13. But then, there is the issue of the limited supply of available EVs being sent to B.C. and Quebec to meet their provincial mandates, leaving other interested buyers across the rest of Canada to be put on yearslong wait lists.

And so, Canada is implementing a federal-level policy that will push automakers to produce more EVs for everyone. To support this shift to electrified cars, the Canadian government will also invest in 50,000 more EV charging stations across the country, totaling up to 85,000 federally funded chargers by 2027. This would be in addition to any charging stations funded by provincial governments or owned by private entities.

The federal government will also renew a program that gives Canadian citizens up to CA$5,000 and businesses up to CA$10,000 to offset the cost of buying or leasing an EV. Also on the horizon are investments in EV manufacturing right in Canada, meaning made-in-Canada EVs for Canadian drivers to buy.

Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, said, “Helping Canadians make the switch to zero-emission vehicles is crucial for reaching our climate goals: it keeps our air clean and helps people save money, all while positioning Canada as a leader on building cleaner vehicles. Today’s announcement is a key deliverable under Canada’s Action Plan for Clean On-Road Transportation. These regulations will help to ensure Canada can meet its ambitious ZEV sales targets, reduce pollution on our roads, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”