VICTORIA – British Columbia is accelerating its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)
targets and helping more people go electric.
If passed, the amendments to the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act will help
increase access and choice for ZEV car buyers, while new provincial funding
will help expand B.C.’s charging network.
“With the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, our government was the first in the
world to put an EV sales target into law,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of
Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “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 ZEV Act amendments will require automakers 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, five years
ahead of the original target.
B.C. has consistently exceeded its annual ZEV sales targets since the ZEV
Act was first passed in 2019. So far in 2023, electric vehicles made up nearly
21% of all new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in B.C., the highest
percentage for any province or territory in Canada.
“This updated ZEV target reflects the success of our measures to shift rapidly
to cleaner transportation,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and
Climate Change Strategy. “We’re taking action to encourage a cleaner British
Columbia, while making headway on CleanBC’s mission to reduce emissions
by 40% by 2030. These changes also support rising demand for cleaner
vehicles on the roads and will make it easier for more people to choose an
electric vehicle.”
The ZEV Act supports British Columbia’s transition to ZEVs for personal and
commercial use, and B.C.’s CleanBC goals to reduce greenhouse gasses,
increase economic opportunities and improve community health.
Along with the ZEV Act amendments, British Columbia’s Go Electric EV
Charger Rebate Program for homes, workplaces and multi-unit residential
buildings has been recharged with $7 million in provincial funding to fully
reopen the first-come, first-serve 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
reopen on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023
