Unless policies or technologies change, the ownership cost of electric vehicles (EVs) needs to decrease by 31 per cent if Canada to wants to reach its sales target of 60 per cent EVs by 2030, according to a new report released Thursday by Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux.
Last December, the federal government unveiled its Electric Vehicle Availability Standard that outlined zero-emission vehicle sales targets for automakers. The standard requires all new light-duty sales in Canada to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035. There are also interim targets of at least 20 per cent of all sales being EVs by 2026 and 60 per cent by 2030.
Those federal government targets come as growth forecasts for auto companies have plateaued and concerns about charging infrastructure persist. The price of EVs has also pushed the cars out of reach for many consumers. According to the Canadian Black Book, the average cost of an EV was $73,000 in 2023.
Sounds like Canada should put a 50% tax on gasoline powered vehicles.
I am waiting for the exponential increase in gas prices to start.
We have to pay for the carbon we’re releasing, it is a market externality, it’s going to cost us trillions of dollars. This is what government is for in a capitalist society.
Only if that tax subsidizes EVs.
I’d rather that tax subsidizes trains.
Good point, I like that better.