Six months after pausing electric vehicle rebates, the government of British Columbia has announced that it will be doing away with the program altogether.Victoria is also ditching a mandate that required every new vehicle sold in the province be zero-emission by 2035.According to Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix, after much deliberation the government came to the conclusion that the targets were "no longer realistic." He made it clear, however, that BC would go back to the drawing board and introduce legislation next year with targets that are on par with those set to be laid out by Ottawa."When you're number one, you're leading, and you're not meeting your targets, you need to reflect on that," he said, adding that the more achievable 26% goal set for 2026 was still within reach..Dix went on to note that in the interim, BC would make "significant regulatory changes" to bolster electric vehicle sales. These include opening up automaker eligibility for a zero-emission vehicle credit program, and rewarding manufacturers that work to make it easier for customers to finance non-gas-powered cars.While BC has some of the best electric vehicle infrastructure in the country, sales have stagnated as of late. Dix nonetheless said the province would continue investing in charging stations.Following Dix's announcement, BC Conservative MLA Hon Chan said he feared the move would lead to "confusion and uncertainty" as dealerships and customers await the new changes. An electric vehicle owner himself, Chan suggested sales would continue to fall without rebates.
