Canadian government developing EV strategy

The Canadian federal government is developing a “national strategy to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on Canadian roads”, Electrek reports.

Transport minister Marc Garneau, and innovation, science and economic development minister Navdeep Bains announced the move at an electric vehicle show in Montreal late last week.

“We are developing an aggressive strategy to tackle climate change by taking actions to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution,” Garneau says. “By putting more zero emission vehicles on the road, we are investing in the future of cleaner transportation for all Canadians.”

The strategy will build on existing initiatives, such as light-duty vehicle regulations, provincial ZEV programmes, and Canadian innovation superclusters, to help meet its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and realise Canada’s potential as a global leader in innovation and the clean economy.

A national advisory group has been established to help develop options for addressing key barriers for greater deployment of these technologies in five areas.

These are vehicle supply, ownership cost and benefits, infrastructure readiness, public awareness, and clean growth and clean jobs.

The group includes representatives from governments, industry, consumer and non-government organisations and academia.