OTTAWA – An environmental think tank is warning the federal government against canceling its electric vehicle mandate, instead suggests that politicians should help put more EVS on the road.
In a statement published on Friday, Clean Energy Canada made three recommendations to the federal government to help the federal government to give cheap EVS to Canadian people for less than $ 40,000.
The group located outside the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia stated that Ottawa should resume its EV mandate, which again by looking at its close goals to help the auto sector to help the auto sector “this temporary storm” in the auto sector.
“Any additional flexibility added to the regulation should be designed to achieve other EV-related goals, such as distributing more affordable EVs and constructing a Canadian charging network,” said the statement of the director of Executive Director Rachel Doron and Public Affairs Joanna Kiriyasis said, “Any additional flexibility added to the regulation said.
The argument comes on the heels of the Auto Manufacturing Leaders meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, in which the CEO reiterated his call to cancel the mandate.
From next year, the mandate will require 20 percent of all the new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada which is zero-furious vehicles. They also include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The target increases by 100 percent annually by 2035.
Recent Canadian data shows that EVS is 7.53 percent of all the new vehicles sold in April.
Following the meeting, the head of an organization representing Ford Canada, GM Canada and Stelanis said that he was “carefully optimistic”, the government would take action on the mandate.
Clean Energy Canada also called Ottawa to re -fund the EV incentive program, but to be clear when the program would be phased out.
The government began incentives for zero-furorean vehicle program in 2019, which gave car buyers up to $ 5,000 towards the cost of an electric vehicle. The event was suddenly suspended in January when its funding was done.
It has left several dealerships on the hook for exemption if they did not send them to their claim before the program ended. The federal government put about $ 3 billion in the program during its lifetime.
Clean Energy Canada says, “The discount should start from $ 5,000 and decline by $ 1,000 each year, giving consumers and automekers a well -transmitted phaseout, which is avoided from the period of artificially reduced sales as buyers wait for the discount or at least clearness,” Clean Energy Canada.
A similar policy is in Quebec.
Federal ministers have said in recent months that the government was working towards bringing back the consumer encouragement on EVS.
Those promises have faced criticism from the vehicle manufacturers themselves, as the EV sales are further decreasing, without applying a discount, as buyers wait for a discount to come back.
Clean Energy Canada also called upon the federal government to reconsider China on its approach to cheap EVs, which is under 100 percent tariffs that are effective in October. Ottawa is determined to review the measurement later this year.
The group says, “Recognizing vehicles approved by the European Union to allow these affordable vehicles to allow in a limited quota … to fill the important market intervals, run innovation and eventually open our auto sector to make the Canada’s vehicle market more competitive.”
This report of Canadian Press was first published on 6 July 2025.
Nick Murray, Canadian Press
