Records showed Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault used misleading data and inaccurate generalizations while defending the cabinet's electric car mandate.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Guilbeault's department admitted that prohibiting the sale of affordable gasoline vehicles would lead to net costs of billions for drivers, which would “disproportionately impact” the working poor.“This will help Canadians with the cost of living,” Guilbeault claimed on Tuesday. “Once you drive a car off the lot, the saving on fuelling and maintenance costs are enormous.”According to the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement released on Wednesday by the department of the environment, the claim was found to be false. It said drivers who purchase electric vehicles could incur more than $17 billion in net costs.“The amendments are estimated to have incremental zero-emission vehicle and home charger costs of $54.1 billion from 2024 to 2050 for consumers who switch to zero-emission vehicles in response to the amendments,” said the department’s analysis of its Passenger Automobile and Light Truck Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations. “These same consumers are expected to realize $36.7 billion in net energy savings over the same period.”Guilbeault's office did not provide a comment on Wednesday.Guilbeault admitted to calling a news conference on Tuesday to discuss regulations that reporters had not had the chance to read before the Analysis publication released on Wednesday.The federal mandate bans the sale of new gas and diesel cars and pickups by 2035. Guilbeault claimed that this mandate would lead to a decrease in the cost of electric vehicles over time. According to Analysis, this claim was found to be false.“Electric vehicles are quickly reaching cost parity with their gas-powered alternatives,” said Guilbeault. “As new models of electric sedans, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, and more keep coming on the market, almost all industry projections show by the end of the decade at the latest, the purchase price of gas-powered and electric cars will be about the same.”However, the Analysis Statement said while some electrics may decrease in price “other vehicle types do not reach price parity” like electric pick-ups and plug-in hybrid cars. It said the resulting net cost would “disproportionately impact” low-income drivers forced to buy costly new vehicles.Rural Canadians and northerners were also “expected to face more difficulties with the transition to zero-emission vehicles due to prolonged periods of cold temperatures,” said Analysis. It did not estimate the net cost for rural, northern and low-income drivers.Federal costing also excluded the “costs of retraining mechanics,” the likelihood of higher electricity rates, “wear and tear on roads” from heavier electrics and higher insurance premiums for drivers, said Analysis.“Accidents could become more fatal,” said Analysis. “Zero-emission vehicles tend to be heavier than non-zero emission vehicles due to the weight of batteries on board and research shows accident fatality increases as the weight differential between vehicles increases.”No federal agency has provided a comprehensive cost estimate for the electric auto mandate.In a December 31, 2022, regulatory notice, the department of environment estimated the initial costs at $99 billion. This figure includes $2 billion allocated for providing $5,000 rebates to drivers and an additional $500 million in financing from the Canada Infrastructure Bank for the construction of charging stations.
