Canada has taken a significant step towards increasing the availability of electric vehicles (EVs) with the introduction of the new Electric Vehicle Availability Standard (EVAS).
Announced by Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change on Tuesday, this plan aims to ensure a steady supply of clean, zero-emission vehicles across the country.
“Many Canadians are increasingly eager to make the switch to cleaner transportation, since it’s a win-win-win in savings, their heath, and the environment. Putting in place an Electric Vehicle Availability Standard fulfills a major climate commitment from our climate plan. Getting more electric vehicles on the road is another example of how we are taking climate action while helping make life more affordable, “said Guilbeault.
The Standard is a response to the growing demand for EVs in Canada. It sets ambitious targets, aiming for 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, with interim goals of 20 percent by 2026 and 60 percent by 2030. This move is expected to channel the supply of EVs to Canadian markets, reducing wait times and providing access to the latest affordable and advanced vehicles.
The feds say the new EVAS will allow Canada to keep pace with the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and several other major economies that are shifting to electric vehicles.
In recent times, the Canadian market has seen a surge in zero-emission vehicle sales. In the last quarter alone, 1 in 8 new cars sold was an EV, with provinces like British Columbia and Quebec already experiencing 1 in 5 sales being electric vehicles. This shift is attributed to decreasing prices of select models and the volatility of gas prices. Tesla so far has been the electric leader, delivering more cars than any other automaker.
The cost benefits of EVs are significant, touts the government. Recharging costs can be as low as $10 per 400 kilometres, and over a decade, the average ownership cost of an electric hatchback is substantially lower than its gas-powered counterpart. The feds cite the cost of an electric vehicle hatchback is $48,943, whereas the gas-powered alternative is $82,515. With federal ($5,000) and provincial incentives (up to $7,000 in Quebec), many EV models reach cost parity with gas vehicles within four years (and someones under a year says Ottawa).
Advancements in battery technology have also played a crucial role, improving cold-weather performance and extending the range of many models to over 400 kilometers. The government is supporting this transition by investing $1.2 billion to build 84,500 chargers across Canada by 2029, complementing the efforts of businesses and other governments to expand the charging infrastructure.
The Standard, developed through extensive engagement over the past two years, follows a phased-in approach, allowing for a gradual transition to a zero-emission future. It coincides with over $34 billion in new investments by automotive and battery manufacturers since 2020, aimed at shifting to electric vehicle production and establishing a battery supply chain in Canada. This shift is expected to create and maintain hundreds of thousands of jobs in a modern automotive supply chain.
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It’s idiotic to do this now. First of all EV’s are too expensive for what you get and only people willing to spend double what the cars are worth will be able to buy new cars after 2035. Secondly, there’s been two articles in the last month about how ridiculously expensive batteries are for these EV’s when they fail. One guy was quoted $50,000 for his 3 year old car and another guy was quoted $25,000 to replace the battery in his car. Until those two significant problems are addressed by car manufacturers this won’t work, EV’s are as much a solution to any environment problems as the one windmill in downtown Toronto. Not to mention I’d love to see how people are going to tow their large size campers with any current EV.
There are already electric vehicles that can put tow their gas counterparts so… get reading.
Yeah. They can for 150 miles, in optimal conditions, after spending $70,000. Great alternative right?
This govt is living in an alternate reality.
You get reading, and get working on your reading comprehension, of course they can tow, the point isn’t them being able to tow, the point is them being able to to tow without losing more than half their range while doing so, then ad to that if you try to tow in cold whether when you can potentially lose half also and you have almost no range.
“ the point is them being able to to tow without losing more than half their range while doing so”
This wasn’t part of your OP so it is impossible to read it. Next time, try actually making your point the first time you comment like a normal person.
Well what do you think you’re talking about when you’re talking about EV’s, the batteries, their range and their cost and their range is horrible and their cost is worse. Everyone knows what they can do for a short period, everyone knows they can tow for a short period, everyone knows they can drive quickly for a short period.
Difficult to believe that even has to be explained.
“EVs can tow” but ignoring range is ridiculously dishonest.
“How was I suppose to know you meant towing a usable distance compared to an ICE vehicle?”
So then you agree with me. You now say that you agree the cars can tow when before you said they can’t. You now say that it’s about how long they can tow when you never once before mentioned duration. Again, make your point the first time, not the second and not the third and not when you reply for the fourth.
You’re still having difficulty with your reading comprehension. As I said, my point is they can’t tow for any meaningful amount of distance when they’re towing, and that towing limitation is further compounded by temperature. As I said, during their testing, car and driver found that their range was reduced by slightly more than half when towing, although they didn’t mention what towing in the cold would do, we already know that when it’s sub zero temperatures, EV battery capacity can be reduced by about half.
So can they tow? technically yes, So can a horse technically but will anyone use EV’s for towing? no because of the point I’ve repeatedly made which if you weren’t having difficulty reading you would have gotten the second time but apparently you still don’t get the point and I didn’t mention it because I didn’t imagine anyone would be in this debate without understanding the point of EV conversations and that point again is range and cost. Now calm down, I can see you’re frothing at the mouth about this.
You know the law is a stupid idea when former environmental activists are calling this 2035 plan idiotic, not practical and dangerous to humanity.
“ my point is they can’t tow for any meaningful amount of distance when they’re towing”
And my point is that you never said this in your original comment. You really need to work on your reading comprehension.
Anyone paying attention to the EV market at all would understand the point I made, anyone without reading comprehension problems that is.
“ Not to mention I’d love to see how people are going to tow their large size campers with any current EV.”
That is the only mention you made of towing in your OP. The point you were making was that EVs were too expensive outright and that batteries cost too much to replace and that those two, and only those two, need to be addressed.
So to reiterate, towing was never your point and you never mentioned distance in your comment. Again, you are proven incorrect and my comment still stands: you never said it in your original statement.
Again, your reading comprehension is failing, everyone knows they can literally tow but they can’t tow any meaningful distance that anyone would use it for. In the same way a horse can tow, but there’s a reason you don’t see them being used for towing either. Frankly, a horse would be more useful than an EV for towing.
Anyone paying attention to the EV market knows the point that was being made. I never mentioned distance because it didn’t need to be mentioned, it was obvious to everyone but you.
So you are again reiterating that you agree with me. Either electric cars can’t tow or they can. If they can, you agree with me. If they can’t, then you are contradicting yourself because you’ve stated many times now that they in fact can. So which is it; do you agree with me, or are you disagreeing with yourself?
No I’m reiterating that everyone except you understood what is meant by EV’s can’t tow, and I’ll tell you again, they can’t tow for any meaningful amount of time. Anyone following EV’s would know this and know what my point was.
What you’re saying is if you jump out of a plane without a parachute that you can fly until you hit the ground after a few seconds or minute or so, I say you can’t fly because you’re not flying for any meaningful amount of time.
That’s falling, not flying. Bad example. You agreed with me and it ends there.
No I didn’t, you still haven’t worked on your reading comprehension. You know the truth, EV’s can’t tow because they can’t tow for any meaningful amount of time. Again, EV’s can’t tow in the same way that falling from the sky isn’t flying.
You constantly agree with me then say I can’t read. Falling is never flying while towing a meaningless distance is still towing. You keep giving terrible examples and then finish your rants by agreeing with me. You’re terrible at this.
You really need help with your reading comprehension. I don’t agree with you. Do I need to use a bigger font? EV’s can’t tow in the same way someone falling from a plane can’t fly? Find someone to help you, this reading thing isn’t for you. My examples are spot on, you just don’t like them. Calm down.
I repeat, falling is never flying. Towing. A meaningless distance is towing. They are NOT the same thing. Try again, you agree with me.
I repeat, falling from the sky is flying in the same way as towing with EV, it’s not towing in any meaningful way. They are totally the same thing.
I repeat, falling from the sky is not flying in the same way as towing with EV is towing. They are totally the same thing.
Falling from the sky is like towing with an EV
You said EVs can tow. Stop admitting I’m right.
I said they can tow like someone falling from the sky can fly, yup confirmed, you still have a goat’s reading comprehension ability
You: “EVs can’t tow a meaningful distance” = EVS can tow a certain distance = EVS can tow = you agree with me.
Was just taking to a friend tonight that caravans across North America. He’s leaving Canada next week to tour the southern US and Mexico next week for a few months. At one point he considered the Tesla cyber truck to replace his dodge 3500 diesel, but he’s woken up to reality (drove an EV for years before). While EV trucks can tow now, when you’re doing long trips hauling a large trailer, having to plan in hours a day of charging just isn’t feasible. He still open to an EV for city dwellers but after years of being an early adopter and promoter of EVs, he isn’t drinking the koolaid as much anymore.
This is just another example of Trudeau thinking he knows better than Canadians and better than the market. And there will be a segment that prefers government to think for them. They’ll support this.
And as unsold EVs continue to pile up and ICE cars have many months of waiting lists, the evidence keeps mounting that forcing this is going to end badly. He keeps following California’s lead. Look how well things are going there.
I notice everyone buying these are people living in warmer locations.
People living in colder climates laugh them away. Half the range, difficult to keep warm, slower charging.
I really think this government is trying to push as much nonsense as possible before they get voted out.
Can our grid even sustain such a rapid switch over? What happens during a pending natural disaster when officials are calling for evacuations? Everyone in the region suddenly plugging into charge up before they leave won’t be great.
This gov pushes their view of utopia, consequences and reality be damned. Their supporters then take a position of “if you point out the flaws in the ‘plan’ and the lack of a plan, then you hate earth and are a climate denier”. It’s simpleminded stupidity.
They can tow them of course but they can’t tow them without losing more than half their range according to Car and Driver, and then if you add cold weather to the mix, you practically have no range. I’d love to have an EV, but shoving it down my throat when it’s not practical and the battery technology isn’t ready is stupid and thoughtless of Trudeau.
– not yet practical
– battery tech
– grid infrastructure
– still relies on horribly toxic mining and refining and blood metals/minerals that 1st world people just ignore
– artificially forcing demand by eliminating choice will cause massive increases in price
– no super low-end options for those looking for very entry level vehicles, screw the poor
– Canada’s overall contribution to global carbon emissions is so low that if we all literally disappeared the global levels would hardly drop…but us driving EVs will make some difference. It’s theatre.
This is Utopianism, which almost never works out well, because it never look at real world consequences.
The Ukrainian Holidomor was a utopian plan for the central gov to make collectivist decisions for the people. Worked out great.
“ whereas the gas-powered alternative is $82,515” categorically and unequivocally false.
So next we need a survey.
On average, what’s the cost to maintain an EV over the course of 12 years until 2035 vs an ice vehicle? How many EVS will actually be left after 13 years and not trashed due to batteries needing replaced, costing more than a vehicle is worth?
As usual, Trudeau spouting off about climate change while living in his own little world. Also while we’re on that subject, he sure likes to fly around in his private jet an aweful lot…
He doesn’t have a private jet. All jetting is done on the taxpayer’s expense. Hypocrisy of selling himself as an environmental champion while polluting the atmosphere aside, there is no need to invent alternative facts to make him look bad.
That’s nitpicking a bit. You’re right, it’s _not_ his own private jet that he owns. It is however an A310 (now A330) that is almost exclusively for his travel and those he allows. But, even if he didn’t have plane dedicated full time for his use, he has private exclusive access to full sized airliners to fly (mostly empty).
I think it’s perfectly reasonable to describe his exclusive access to fly on dedicated planes as “private” even if his name isn’t on the ownership papers.
Soon Trudeau and his enviro maniac will be unemployed and then this will mean absolutely nothing. FYI, i will be partying on that day and unable to comment…
In reality, there isn’t enough electricity to power all those ev’s. now, if you have hybrids, i think that is doable as you can use gasoline when there isn’t any electricity.
and ask yourself, why would you ever vote for a liberal again when they have proven that they have no idea how to run a country effectively??? and add ndp to that statement as well, they are enablers.