By Paul Vieira
OTTAWA--Canada said Tuesday it would forge ahead with rules to compel that all new vehicles sold in 2035 be powered by electricity.
Canada unveiled draft regulations a year ago that proposed regulations mandating that an increasing share of light-duty vehicle sales be electric over a nine-year timeline. The final rules largely confirmed this time horizon, which envisages at least 20% of all auto sales be electric by 2026, and at least 60% by 2030. In 2035, Canada expects all new vehicle sales to be electric.
This "fulfills a major climate commitment from our climate plan," said Steven Guilbeault, Canada's environment minister.
Transportation presently accounts for 22% of Canadian greenhouse-gas emissions. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- whose Liberal Party is trailing its main rival, the Conservative Party, by a wide margin in recent public-opinion polls -- has made the shift from fossil fuel consumption a key pillar in his policy agenda.
Officials said the rules align with measures introduced in California and 10 other U.S. states. In April, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules governing tailpipe emissions, which lobby groups representing auto makers reckon would require two-thirds of new vehicles sold be electric in 2032. The U.K., however, said in September it was delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that was to take effect in 2030.
Canadian-based auto makers warn the targets set out by the Liberal government won't be achievable without "ambitious" government-led investments to deal with EV charging infrastructure and address affordability concerns among households.
"Regulating vehicle sales will make life even more unaffordable for Canadians," said Brian Kingston, chief executive of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association.
Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-19-23 1229ET
