Canada will speed up its goal of switching to electric vehicles as the Liberal government has announced a set date of 2035.
On June 29, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that by the year 2035, all new cars and light-duty trucks sold in Canada would be zero-emission vehicles.
Canada’s Switch to Electric Vehicles
Canada had previously set 2040 as the country will change all passenger vehicles sold to electronic ones.
Alghabra cited a recent report from the International Energy Agency that says by 2035, and almost all new light-duty vehicle sales would have to be electric in order to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century.
Canada has committed that it will either emit no greenhouse gas emissions or offset greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to CTV News.
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Alghabra added that they are aware that their target year is ambitious, but it is a must. The country believes that it is doable; it just needs focus, determination, and effort.
The project also needs money. Alghabra cited how the Canadian government has already shelled out $600 million into a rebate program that offers the consumers a break when they purchase new electric vehicles in hopes to entice others to do the same.
Alghabra explained that the program would be expanded to include more types of vehicles and not just passenger ones, as reported by Reuters.
However, he did not share the exact amount of the cost of the transition from traditional vehicles to electronic vehicles.
The program offers buyers an upfront discount of up to $5,000, and the sellers would have to claim the incentives to be reimbursed.
The Federal officials said last year that the rebates have been popular but added that it would not be enough to reach the government’s first target of electric cars making up 10% of sales by 2025.
Creating New Policies for Electric Vehicles
Johnathan Wilkinson, an Environment Minister, said that the tougher part of the goal is when Canada needs to work hand in hand with the United States, discuss fuel efficiency, and consult with stakeholders on new regulatory measures.
The goal also includes bringing in a mandate that would require car companies to make or sell electric vehicles, which proponents of zero-emissions technology to help ensure that there is more supply when consumers are in the market for new vehicles.
Wilkinson said that the 2035 goal is a mandatory target and that they know that this is where the world needs to go to combat climate change, according to Electrek.
A senior policy adviser at Clean Energy Canada, Joanna Kyriazis, said that electric vehicles comprise about 4% of car sales in Canada, which is a very far number from the goal of 10% by 2025.
Kryiazis said that electric vehicle sales in the UK, France, and Germany had seen a jump, which she said shows Canada’s new target needs to be supported by government policies that see more of these cars available for purchase on numerous dealership lots, more charging infrastructure, and incentives that are aimed at electric SUVs and trucks.
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Written by Sophie Webster
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