Officials told the Commons environment committee this week that electric vehicles bring health benefits and reduce health care costs, but could not provide a dollar estimate for those savings.Megan Nichols, assistant deputy environment minister, said the Cabinet’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 362 million tonnes over the next 25 years, improving air quality in Canadian communities. Blacklock's Reporter said she declined to quantify the corresponding reduction in medicare spending.Conservative MPs expressed skepticism, pointing to challenges in the auto sector. Carol Anstey (Long Range Mountains, Nfld. & Labrador) said dealers in her province struggle to sell electric vehicles, leaving inventory idle and tying up capital. .“They have these electric vehicles just sitting on the lot, taking up space, tying up investment capital, and it’s threatening their viability,” she said.Anstey questioned why the government maintains a mandate banning new sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2035. Nichols said the rule helps ensure Canada secures a share of global zero-emission production, while addressing past supply shortages that left consumers waiting months for electric vehicles.Conservative MP David Bexte (Bow River, Alta.) raised concerns that Canada’s mandate could push production south to the United States, following President Donald Trump’s January executive order ending the U.S. electric vehicle mandate. .Nichols said there is no evidence the policy is causing manufacturers to relocate, but Bexte argued thousands of jobs have already been lost.The federal government has paused the first phase of the mandate requiring electrics to make up 20% of 2026 model sales while it restructures Canada’s auto sector. Critics say the move underscores tensions between environmental goals and the realities facing Canadian manufacturers.
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