Canada's new auto strategy may not put as many EVs on the road as Carney says

Prime Minister Mark Carney ended the federal EV sales mandate, resumed purchase incentives and announced stronger tailpipe standards; he says the measures will lead to 75% of new cars being electric by 2035. Some climate experts and opposition leaders question that projection, and officials say the detailed modelling behind the claim has not yet been released.

Prime Minister Mark Carney replaced the previous EV sales mandate with a new approach that ends the mandate, resumes purchase rebates for five years and promises stricter tailpipe pollution standards. The government projects the changes will yield 75 per cent of new car purchases as electric by 2035 and models a 57 per cent reduction in tailpipe carbon pollution. Several provincial premiers and major automakers publicly welcomed the shift as providing policy stability. Climate experts, opposition leaders and some researchers have voiced doubts about whether the new measures will deliver the stated outcomes, and officials say detailed modelling is still being finalised. Key facts: - The federal government ended the Trudeau-era EV sales mandate and reinstated purchase incentives for five years. - The government announced plans for stronger tailpipe emissions standards, modelled on a "grams per mile" approach, and claimed those standards would cut car carbon pollution by 57 percent. - Prime Minister Carney said he expects EVs to reach 75 percent of new car purchases by 2035 without a sales mandate. - Government officials told a technical briefing that the detailed modelling supporting the claim is not yet available and that regulations are to be finalised later this year. - Climate scientist Simon Donner and other experts said the approach may not guarantee higher EV sales, and opposition and Green Party leaders have criticised the policy changes. Summary: Researchers and policy experts say the effectiveness of the new auto strategy depends largely on the strength and details of the forthcoming tailpipe emissions standard and on how those regulations are implemented. Officials plan to finalise the regulatory package later this year; the article reports uncertainty about whether the announced measures will achieve the level of EV uptake the prime minister has described.