In-house research by Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland’s department has found Canadians are sharply divided over an electric car mandate to be enforced beginning in 2026.“There was no consensus,” said a transport report, reviewed by Blacklock’s Reporter.The Electric Vehicle Availability Standard mandates that electric vehicles account for 20% of new vehicle sales in 2026. The mandate rises to 60% by 2030 with an outright ban on new sales of gas or diesel passenger vehicles in 2035.“There are differences of opinion about the 2035 zero-emission mandate among Canadians,” wrote researchers.“There was no consensus about the requirement for all new cars and light trucks sold in Canada to be zero-emission by 2035.”.The mandate was divisive, said the report.“It was suggested this is a single-solution approach to solving complex problems with an arbitrary deadline when what is needed is a more multifaceted approach,” it said.Asked, “Is your next new vehicle going to be zero-emission?” 12% said yes.“Lower-income individuals are more likely to use gas-powered vehicles, with 99% of those earning less than $59,999 and 95% of those earning under $40,000 relying on gas,” wrote researchers.Asked, “What do you think about the requirement that all new cars and light trucks sold in Canada be zero-emission by 2035?” 45% called it “a good idea,” 39% called it “a bad idea,” and 16% were undecided.“Participants who did not support the mandate or who had doubts about it tended to identify the following concerns, usually with a focus on electric vehicles: concerns about infrastructure and service capacity, including concerns about the number of recharge stations, range anxiety, and the capacity of the power grid to support electric vehicles,” wrote researchers..Skeptics also questioned the feasibility of battery replacement and disposal, safety concerns including battery fires and extra weight of vehicles in a collision, and “the effectiveness of electric vehicles in Canadian conditions such as extreme cold or severe winter storms.”Findings were drawn from questionnaires with 1,587 people nationwide and five federal focus groups. The transport department paid $110,672 for the report by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc., an Ottawa pollster.The report was dated March 17 but only released Friday, after a June 17 Commons vote on a Conservative motion challenging the mandate. MPs, by a 194-141 vote, upheld the Availability Standard.
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