Open full screen Currently, there are some 25,000 public charging stations in Canada, with more of 10,000 were funded by the Government of Canada. Radio-Canada Voice synthesis, based on artificial intelligence, makes it possible to generate spoken text from a written text. By 2035, every new vehicle sold in Canada must be electric. This is what the federal government announced on Tuesday by unveiling its new standard for the availability of electric vehicles. Thus, zero-emission vehicles, which include battery electric models and hydrogen models, will have to represent 20% of new cars put on sale in 2026, 60% in 2030 and 100% in 2035, senior officials at the Ministry of the Environment said during a technical briefing. The new standard will apply in particular to light vehicles, including passenger automobiles, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and light trucks. Ministry officials, however, clarified that exemptions are provided for emergency vehicles, including ambulances or fire engines. According to ministry data, light vehicles represent approximately half of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector in Canada. This sector, as a whole, represents some 25% of Canada's overall GHG emissions. The goal of this regulation is to make vehicles zero broadcast more accessible and more affordable for Canadians, said a senior official from the Department of the Environment. Loading ELSEWHERE ON INFO: Discussions in Egypt for a new truce between Hamas and Israel During a press conference in Toronto, the Minister of the Environment and of Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, confirmed that this new standard implements a key commitment of our climate plan. There is a growing desire among many Canadians to switch to a cleaner mode of transportation, as it is a win-win solution in terms of savings, health and the environment.< /p>A quote from Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change The investments we are making to make Canada a major player in the global electric vehicle manufacturing and battery supply chain show that we are seizing the economic opportunities offered by the new low-carbon economy, he said. added. According to Canadian government estimates, from 2024 to 2050, the shift to electric vehicles will save owners $36.7 billion in energy costs, since the price of electricity is much lower than the price of refueling at the pump. For example, a 400-kilometer trip costs about $10 in electricity for a mid-size electric vehicle, compared to about $50 for its gasoline counterpart, says the Ministry of the Environment. Ministerial officials also expect that the sale price of an electric vehicle will reach parity with that of a gasoline vehicle of here 2030. During the most recent quarter alone, one in eight new vehicles sold in Canada was a zero-emission vehicle, the ministry specifies in its press release. In addition, British Columbia and Quebec have already implemented similar standards, and they are bearing fruit, since new electric vehicles represent one in five sales in these provinces. So far, the Government of Canada's incentive program for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles has enabled more than 300,000 motorists to turn to this type of vehicle thanks to incentives of up to $5,000, further indicates the ministry. The federal government also wants to stimulate private sector investment in charging infrastructure. Currently, according to the ministry, there are some 25,000 public charging stations in Canada, more than 10,000 of which were funded by Ottawa. Since 2016, the government has selected more than 42,000 electric vehicle charging stations for funding, and it expects to deploy 84,500 by 2029. The President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, who was present at Minister Guilbeault's press conference, assured that the federal government is in the process of electrifying its fleet of 40,000 vehicles. Just as we ask car manufacturers to reduce GHGs, the government must also do its part and lead by example, said Ms. Anand. A report from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, published last November, indicates, however, that in March 2022, only 3% of vehicles in the entire government fleet were zero-emission vehicles, while 7% were hybrid vehicles. The new regulations will also allow Canada to remain competitive in the international market, while several European countries and the United States- United States have introduced measures to increase the number of electric vehicles on their roads. Asked whether energy production capacity in Canada will be sufficient to ensure the transition to electric vehicles, Mr. Guilbeault assured that demand will be marginal. We are talking about a few percentage points of increase in electricity consumption, he said, while recalling that the Liberal government, in its last budget, made $40 billion available provinces and territories to increase the supply of clean electricity across the country over the coming decades. Valérie Gamache's report. In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith, who wants to invest in hydrogen vehicles, was quick to react to the federal government's announcement, affirming that 'Ottawa has no legal or moral authority to tell Albertans what vehicles they can or cannot purchase. Ms. Smith, who considers the 2035 deadline for the electrification of the fleet of new automobiles on sale in Canada to be strangely impossible, believes that this measure will lead to an increase in costs for both businesses and citizens. Conservative MP Gérard Deltell, spokesperson for the official opposition on the environment and climate change, also criticized Justin Trudeau's government, accusing it of having “ambitions that are too strong” compared to reality. What we want is to continue to allow access to electric vehicles […] while being aware that zero cars broadcast does not correspond to all the needs of citizens, Mr. Deltell told Radio-Canada. On the side of environmental groups, the announcement was generally favorably received. We are pleased to see that the government has resisted pressure from the [automotive] industry and chosen to prioritize climate protection and affordability, said Tom Green, senior advisor. in climate policy at the David Suzuki Foundation. For Patrick Bonin, head of the Climate-Energy campaign at Greenpeace, Canada must accelerate the electrification of its automobile fleet so that it is 100% clean by 2030 and not 2035, as announced today.< /p> This measure is essential in the toolbox of climate actions which must be implemented quickly by governments, affirmed Mr. Bonin, while calling on Ottawa to invest even more in public transportation. Pierre-Olivier Pineau, energy policy expert and professor at HEC Montreal, believes that the federal government is not going far enough to achieve its GHG reduction ambitions and is only postponing actions that should be taken until later. today. This is not the right approach, he said in an interview with Radio-Canada. We must instead attack the root of the problem which is the very large number of vehicles already present on our roads. Just like Mr. Bonin, he calls on Ottawa to promote public transportation and active transportation, such as cycling. These are policies that will be beneficial for all Canadians, which cost less and which require changes in habits, he adds. Indeed, anyone who thinks that we can make an energy transition and achieve our carbon neutrality objectives without changing habits is wrong.
Discussions in Egypt for a new truce between Hamas and Israel
By Natasha Kumar
Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116