Canada’s zero emission standard: an important announcement will be made tomorrow on the subject

In a press release, RPM learned today that the government will make a major announcement tomorrow, December 21, 2022 at 10 a.m., about the new standards for zero emission vehicles in Canada. In fact, everything suggests that it would be the famous zero emission standard that has been brewing in Ottawa for several months.

The details of the announcement are still very vague, but reliable sources allow us to believe that, together, Environment and Climate Change Canada as well as organizations and associations Plug’n Drive and Electric Mobility Canada will table the draft zero emission standard at the country. The announcement will be made live at the Plug’n Drive headquarters in the Concord area of ​​suburban Toronto.

More ambitious goals

As we reported last August, the zero-emissions standard could allow Canada to reach even more ambitious GHG emission targets. It should be noted that Canada currently follows the standards established by American government authorities in this regard, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in particular. The primary goal of the zero-emissions standard would be to force automakers to sell more electric vehicles here.

It is not yet known if and when Canada will put this standard into effect, but it would be quite logical to assume that it could be adopted as of 2023 and come into force in 2024 or, even, in 2025.

And more power to consumers

Based on the document published by Electric Mobility Canada on the subject last summer, the federal government’s zero-emissions standard would aim to penalize manufacturers more for marketing polluting vehicles.

Above all, it proposes to modify the current operation, that is to impose a minimum penalty of $20,000 per sale of zero-emission vehicle not completed. For the standard to remain relevant over time, it will need to track the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Secondly, this standard could make the practice of borrowing carbon credits between manufacturers more transparent. This practice, where credit amounts are sometimes manipulated, is currently proving to be a way for some manufacturers to circumvent regulations.

Finally, such a standard will be especially advantageous for consumers wishing to turn to an electric and plug-in hybrid model. If the supply of these models is currently so low in the country, it is because Canada is not forcing any manufacturer to sell more of them. Under no obligation to comply with regulations, manufacturers are making no effort to bring more affordable electric vehicles to us.

If we look at other parts of the world, Norway in particular, which imposes strict standards on the marketing of polluting vehicles, we see that manufacturers end up complying with them by importing more low-emission and electric models. Wherever a zero emission standard has been implemented, it has demonstrated its effectiveness.

We’ll get back to you tomorrow with all the details as soon as the announcement has been made.