How Ottawas New Program Replacing the EV Mandate Pushes Canadians Toward Electric Vehicles

An electric vehicle is charged in Ottawa in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Sean KilpatrickCommentaryIt’s not surprising that Prime Minister Mark Carney finally scrapped the electric vehicle (EV) mandate brought in by his predecessor Justin Trudeau. Despite years of subsidies, promotion, and arm-twisting, Canadians weren’t willing to embrace EVs in numbers anywhere near those mandated. Auto manufacturers and dealers were caught in an impossible situation as they were expected to build and sell a product under a fast-approaching deadline when consumers didn’t want it. Either the mandate had to be scrapped, or the punitive phase of the policy would have to be applied to dealers and manufacturers. Carney chose the former option.