B.C. phasing out new gas-powered vehicle sales 5 years earlier

The provincial government is requiring automakers and their sellers to completely phase out gas-powered vehicles five years earlier than the original target, with all new vehicle sales in B.C. required to be “zero-emissions” by 2035.

B.C. announced the changes Tuesday, introducing amendments to the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, saying it will “help increase access and choice for ZEV car buyers, while provincial funding will help expand B.C.’s charging network.”

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says the amendments will require vehicle companies to “meet an escalating annual percentage of new light-duty ZEV sales and leases, reaching 26% of light-duty vehicle sales by 2026, 90% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.”

“With the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, our government was the first in the world to put an EV sales target into law,” said Minister Josie Osborne.

“British Columbia is the leader in Canada on the switch to electric vehicles, and thanks to the success we’ve seen, we’re accelerating our work so we can hit our 100% EV sales target five years earlier. The actions we’re taking today will make it easier for drivers to choose electric when they make their next vehicle purchase, with even more choices available to reduce pollution and contribute to cleaner air.”

The ministry says so far this year, electric vehicles make up about 21 per cent of all new light-duty passenger vehicles sold — the highest percentage across all of Canada’s provinces or territories.

Since 2016, the number of registered EVs in the province rose 2,500 per cent, from 5,000 vehicles to almost 130,000 in 2023.

The province says that along with the escalating percentage of new sales, the government is also “recharging” the Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program for homes and workplaces with another $7 million to reopen the program.

“The rebate program’s funds were exhausted earlier in the year due to higher-than-anticipated demand. EV charger rebate applications for single-family homes and workplaces will re-open on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.”