It seems it will take more than a snowstorm to deter Canadian EV owners from their electric journey. This is all happening in direct response to the federal government’s own move to pause its EV mandate. Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered the good news. The review is part of an order he signed requiring a 60-day period for reevaluating the country’s electric vehicle program. The review seeks “future flexibilities and ways to reduce costs,” with potential amendments to annual sales targets that aim for all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be fully electric or plug-in hybrids by 2035.
Julien Kos, a resident of the remote town of Back Bay, New Brunswick, bought his first Tesla EV in January. He was going to charge his car at a shopping mall in Moncton. He thought he might stop and get a quick meal, but it would largely depend on the charging infrastructure as to what he did. Sadly, Kos has discovered that almost all of the provincial public chargers across New Brunswick are “unreliable.” He eloquently described his frustration with the state of our infrastructure. So, it’s incredibly disappointing to find out that our province has failed to provide the necessary support,” he said.
Alroy Brouwer of southern Ontario came up against a similar wall. He just recently converted his second car from a gas-powered vehicle to an EV. He’s undeterred by the federal government’s withdrawal from the deal. Brouwer emphasized the challenges that EV owners face. He underscored the challenges of the long-distance public charging network on interstate highways, which are often broken down or expensive to charge at. EVs are not a return on investment. Boileau explained, “Once people get into an EV, they’re never returning to ICE vehicles.” He added that he is personally frustrated with spending money on gas. He noted, “Once you start, you realize how dumb it is to spend $20 in gas a day to go there.”
Even with these worries over the reliability of charging infrastructure, some industry veterans are still upbeat about where EV adoption is headed. Angie Thomas, secretary of the board of the Electric Vehicle Association of Alberta, believes charging infrastructure will expand. She said she has no worries on this front. I do worry about future charging projects coming. Thomas voiced support for continued development in this space. He continued to declare, “Innovation is moving at the speed of light. We have to get on board with this technology, or we’re going to get run over.”
Faced with industry pushback, the federal government has pressed pause on the EV mandate. This should raise alarms among automakers who have not yet committed themselves to electric vehicle technology. Tracy Miersch remarked, “Where I think it might impact is the car manufacturers that haven’t really bought into the EV idea.” This is a big deal because, from this point forward, market dynamics will be changed as consumers increasingly demand more sustainability-focused transportation choices.
Just recently, a poll found that 68 percent of Canadians plan to buy or lease an EV. Consumer adoption As these numbers indicate, more consumers than ever are interested in purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle. No amount of government policy changes will stop this flow. Kristian Aquilina commented on this evolving landscape: “We would be pursuing a future whereby EV policy in this country is just a bit more reflective of the realities of consumer demand, rather than a forced outcome.”
Private businesses—like commercial real estate developers—are beginning to recognize the benefits of having EV chargers on their properties, noted Ritika Miersch. They’re jumping on board with this good development. She urged that every one of the private sector employers and businesses understand the action that an EV charger at their place attracts. They are looking for ways to tap into this rapidly expanding trend. This change may have a profound impact on how many charging stations come online. It will give critical assistance to the growing number of Americans who live in electric vehicle-friendly communities.
