Almost a quarter of our emissions come from the transportation sector, and half of these emissions come from the cars and trucks that get Canadians around everyday. We know action is needed to reduce pollution from transportation. That’s why we launched the iZEV program in 2019 to provide purchase rebates of up to $5,000 to Canadians who want to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle and helped build enough charging stations that you can drive from St. John’s to Victoria in an electric vehicle. And this June we set a mandatory target that all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales be zero-emissions by 2035, accelerating Canada’s target by 5 years.
To help us shift to zero emissions vehicles faster, a re-elected Liberal government will:
- Double down to attract investments and jobs in manufacturing zero emissions vehicles in Canada through the $8 billion net-zero Accelerator.
- Invest an additional $700 million to add 50,000 new electric vehicle chargers and hydrogen stations to Canada’s network, including curbside chargers in urban areas, chargers in multi-unit housing, at tourism destinations, and in rural communities.
- Provide $100 million to make sure existing buildings can install charging stations, removing a barrier to adopting a clean car.
- Invest an additional $1.5 billion in the iZev rebate program to extend it for 3 years and broaden eligibility to a wider range of vehicle types, including used vehicles, to help over 500,000 Canadians get into a zero emissions vehicle.
- Work with industry, labour and other stakeholders to develop a regulated sales requirement that at least 50% of all new light duty vehicle sales be zero emissions vehicles in 2030, helping Canadians, in all parts of the country, access a wide range of zero-emissions vehicles.
And we will also accelerate the transition of the federal fleet to zero emissions and do more to tackle emissions from medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Taking action to reduce pollution from vehicles will help fight climate change, and make the air we breathe cleaner and healthier.