Trudeau government seems intent on pushing ahead with 2035 EV mandates
With Trump ending the U.S. zero-emission mandates, all eyes are on Canada's 2035 mandate
Article content
OTTAWA — Canada remains steadfast in pushing ahead with its 2035 ban on internal combustion engines despite pressure from Canada’s auto industry and Donald Trump’s removal of the American EV mandates.
In a response to a question submitted to Environment Canada earlier this week on the status of Canada’s zero-emission vehicle mandates, a spokesperson implied the government has no interest in following suit with the United States.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Trudeau government seems intent on pushing ahead with 2035 EV mandates Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“Canada expects the shift toward zero-emission vehicles to continue this decade as electric vehicles continue to become more affordable as costs fall and new vehicle models enter the Canadian market,” wrote spokesperson Brandon Clim in a response received two days after the Toronto Sun‘s inquiry.
“Last year, EV sales in Canada hit a record, accounting for over 16% of new vehicles sold (as of the third quarter of 2024.) This is just under of the 20% target set out in the regulations of new light-duty vehicles offered for sale in Canada to be zero-emission vehicles for model year 2026.”
One of the first things Trump did after taking office this week was to end the U.S.’s mandates, turning all eyes on Canada and their own struggling policy.
During a press conference last week on Parliament Hill, Canada’s automakers urged the government to do away with new rules mandates requiring all new cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission by 2035.
The call came shortly after a federal zero-emission rebate program was unexpectedly cancelled after it ran out of money — one year before the mandate’s first phase requiring 20% of all new cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission.
“It should be obvious to everyone now that provincial and federally mandated zero emission sales targets are no longer ambitious, but a complete fantasy,” said Brian Kingston, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, during last week’s press conference.
“There is no pathway to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales in the next 10 years with the supports being provided to Canadians. Dictating what vehicles Canadians can and cannot buy, without providing them with the supports necessary to switch to electric is a made-in-Canada policy failure.”
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.