B.C. is relaxing some of the requirements of its zero-emission vehicle framework, acknowledging marketplace realities and making it easier for automakers and dealers to comply.
Future changes are also in the works to “recalibrate” the mandated targets that will require all new vehicles sold in B.C. to be electric by 2035.
Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix said those targets are “no longer realistic.”
This is despite the province leading electric vehicle sales in North America.
Dix compared this situation to a recent trip to the pool.
“On Sunday, I went swimming and I had quite a good swim. I did 64 laps over a 25-metre pool. I felt pretty good about it,” he said. “But if my goal were to go to the Olympics, I would have been discouraged, I think, by the speed of my swim.”
B.C. created its electric vehicle mandates in 2019, becoming the first jurisdiction with a 100 per cent electric vehicle adoption target. Sales reached 22.4 per cent in 2024, but have dipped since
Dix blamed the federal government’s decision to end an electric vehicle program, as well as trade barriers, for contributing to the dip in sales.
If automakers fail to reach the targets, they face a $20,000-per-vehicle penalty. To avoid this, they can buy credits.
The main changes that are now coming into effect will expand eligibility for automakers to receive credits and relax range requirements.
More to come.