“Net-Zero Tyranny”

At first glance, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new auto industry strategy looks like billions of dollars in support for Ontario’s beleaguered vehicle manufacturers. Unfortunately, Carney’s EV-focused approach will do little or nothing to solve the industry’s problems.

It’s difficult to imagine a plan more untethered from the economic realities of the real-world auto industry. To summarize, the Carney plan relies on electric vehicles (EVs) that Ontario plants don’t produce, a sudden and dramatic new appetite for buying EVs and an imagined export market that doesn’t exist. To top it off, the federal government will provide $2.3 billion in EV rebates that will encourage Canadians to buy cars made elsewhere, although the new Chinese imports are excluded.

As the iron door of reality slams onto the toe of even the most fervent advocates of climate change action, the Carney government has walked back its electric vehicle (EV) mandate, which would have banned the sale of new conventionally powered vehicles in Canada by 2035.

However, the government will not abandon its push to switch Canadians to EVs. It’s bringing back rebates of $5,000 for EVs under $50,000 (for vehicles made in Canada or in countries where we have free-trade agreements) and plans to offer billions in subsidies to automakers. The continued push for EVs highlights the significant discrepancy between how individual Canadians want to spend their money and how the federal government thinks they ought to spend it.

The federal government’s plan to replace electric vehicle sales quotas with a reduced emissions standard is unrealistic and could saddle Canadians with massive costs, according to the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that instead of gradually banning conventional vehicles by 2035, 75% of new vehicles sold in that year would need to meet an electric-equivalent emissions standard.

(Incognito)

For heaven’s sake, can we just admit the painfully obvious point that Canada’s federal and provincial governments committed a massive strategic blunder when they went whole hog into subsidizing the production and sale of EV vehicles and batteries?

Despite widespread approval from provinces and auto manufacturers, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s auto plan might not accelerate the transition to electric vehicles as fast as he says.

On Thursday, Carney ended Canada’s electric vehicle mandate, resumed purchase incentives and said higher standards for fuel efficiency were coming. Ontario and Alberta’s premiers said they were both “pleased” and car manufacturers said the move provided “welcome policy stability.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will abolish the electric vehicle mandate while replacing it with emissions regulations that he says will achieve a similar objective of reaching widespread EV adoption by consumers.

Carney announced on Feb. 5 that Ottawa will repeal the electric vehicle mandate that would have required automakers to produce and sell only electric vehicles by 2035. Instead, Carney said the government will put in place tougher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for model years 2027 to 2032. The revised aim is to reach an EV adoption rate of 75 percent by 2035 and 90 percent by 2040.