Canadian government's plan to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035 is facing criticism

 

 

 

Canada's plan to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035 is facing criticism. A poll shows that 56% of Canadians oppose the ban. Low- and middle-income earners are the ones who are most opposed to it. With opposition mounting and practical challenges looming, many argue that the policy should be abandoned rather than delayed.

Canada is moving forward with a plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035 to combat climate change. As part of this, automakers must sell more electric vehicles each year. Prime Minister Mark Carney has suspended the policy for a year and initiated a 60-day review. But the long-term mandate still stands.

The government aims for 60% of new car sales to be electric by 2030. But current sales are falling far short of that target. Electric vehicles will account for just 8.7 per cent of new vehicle sales by early 2025. And demand for electric vehicles is slowing. Automakers such as Ford and Stellantis have warned that these targets are unfeasible due to battery shortages and production constraints. Companies that fail to meet the target will have to buy credits from rivals such as Tesla at high prices, costing the industry billions of dollars. Critics say it will also increase the cost of vehicles and hurt Canadian consumers.

Canada currently has just 35,000 public EV chargers, but that number will need to reach more than 400,000 by 2035. Charging facilities are limited in rural areas. Charging an electric vehicle can add about 4,500 kWh to a household’s electricity use per year, putting further strain on the power grid and driving up electricity bills.