Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne has urged Canadians to buy electric vehicles (EVs), emphasizing the need for greater uptake as part of the government's climate goals. Blacklock's Reporter says Champagne made the remarks during a Commons industry committee meeting, where he acknowledged that more work is needed to boost adoption of EVs despite existing federal incentives.“We need to make sure we have adoption,” Champagne said. “We’ve seen what is going on in the United States. We are working with provinces, but I would agree governments, and I will put governments with an ‘s’, still need to work to make sure we have greater adoption.”His comments come after a federal memo suggested cabinet consider nearly doubling rebates for electric car buyers. Currently, the government offers rebates of up to $5,000 under the Incentives for Zero Emission Vehicles Program, but U.S. incentives are nearly twice as generous. “The United States is offering a clean vehicle tax credit that would provide eligible individuals with up to US$7,500 or approximately CDN$9,600 off an eligible new vehicle and up to US$4,000 or CDN$5,100 off an eligible used vehicle,” said a 2023 briefing note from the Department of Transport.NDP MP Brian Masse (Windsor West) pressed Champagne on what specific plans the federal government has to make EVs more affordable. Champagne reiterated the need to focus on increasing adoption but provided no specific new measures to address high vehicle costs.In-house research from the Department of Natural Resources reveals significant hesitation among Canadians when it comes to electric vehicles. A 2022 survey found that 43% of Canadians had not considered driving an electric car, and 51% of those who had considered it had not taken any real steps toward purchasing or leasing one. Additionally, 15% expressed no interest in EVs, and 19% said the vehicles didn’t meet their driving needs.Despite the push for adoption, challenges remain. By 2035, the federal government plans to ban the sale of gas and diesel-powered passenger vehicles, and the Department of Environment has allocated $2 billion for federal rebates. However, most Canadians still view electric cars as too expensive, even with available rebates.
