Faith of the CAQ, there will be 400,000 more electric vehicles on the roads of Quebec in 2030 than initially planned. The government is raising the electrification target for light vehicles set in its Plan for a Green Economy 2030 to 2 million by the end of the decade.
The Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, Benoît Charette, took advantage of the Electric Vehicle Show being held at the Montreal Olympic Stadium to announce an increase in the requirements of the standard on zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) targeting automakers operating in the province.
In a revision of the ZEV standard suggested by the CAQ in 2022, the target for 2030 was 1.6 million light vehicles in 2030. Noting that the delays in the transition to electric transportation are caused on the supply side rather than demand, the government will therefore require manufacturers to step harder than expected on the accelerator.
“There is availability, but not yet strong enough for the demand of Quebec motorists,” said in an interview with the Duty Benoit Charette. “They have to wait too long. This is why we are tightening the ZEV standard to make more of their electric vehicles available to manufacturers. »
Given that there are currently approximately 200,000 zero-emission vehicles on Quebec’s roads, “we will multiply by ten in just a few years the number of these vehicles on our roads”, rejoices the Minister. “When we will be 100% electric in 2035, 20% of our GHG emissions will have been eliminated and this is major. »
Sales of electric vehicles currently represent approximately 12% of sales of all new vehicles registered in Quebec. For the province to reach this target of 2 million vehicles, more than half of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2027 will need to be electrified, and more than two-thirds of sales in 2030.
Improve the infrastructure
Not all manufacturers are at the same level in their own electric shift and this is certainly an opportunity for those who invested earlier in zero-emission technologies. In any case, this is the position taken by the Korean group Hyundai, which owns the eponymous brand, the Kia brand and the more luxurious Genesis brand.
“Last year, we were second behind Tesla in electrics in Canada. With new products expected starting this year, we should be good at meeting government thresholds,” said Ricardo Chen, senior director of new products for Hyundai Canada. “We certainly have the products and materials to meet the 2030 and 2035 targets.”
In addition to more abundant and more affordable supply, the availability of public and fast charging infrastructure beyond the main urban centers will weigh on the success of the government’s electrification strategy. Minister Benoît Charette will receive over the next five years $1.4 billion more than expected for his green plan, in particular to improve public charging infrastructure.
“In the coming weeks we will present our implementation plan,” says Mr. Charette. For purchase assistance, there will be no new measure, but the eligibility of vehicles with a retail price of $65,000 (rather than $60,000 previously) has been raised. “We have also set aside $60 million to expand access by individuals to public fast charging stations. »
Minister Charette is also pleased to have forced school bus manufacturers to make an electric shift that was not on their agenda for the next few years. He quotes Autobus Thomas, “which without this regulation would probably not have wanted to convert to electric”.
“Our regulations on commercial vehicles and buses are the right ones,” said Minister Charrette, who is also adopting his party’s official position regarding the most recent version of the third link between Quebec and Lévis. “It’s the right decision given the costs and the traffic, it’s a pragmatic and difficult decision for some, but it was necessary. »