Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News Mexico
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS BY BRAND
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
    • Daimler
    • Fiat Chrysler
    • Ford
    • General Motors
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Mazda
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Subaru
    • Tata
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
    • Mini
    • Rolls Royce
    • Mercedes Benz
    • Smart
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Chrysler
    • Dodge
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Jeep
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Ram
    • Lincoln
    • Buick
    • Cadillac
    • Chevrolet
    • GMC
    • Acura
    • Kia
    • Infiniti
    • Jaguar
    • Land Rover
    • Lexus
    • Audi
    • Bentley
    • Bugatti
    • Lamborghini
    • Porsche
  • News
    • Auto Shows
    • Photo Galleries
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • Retail
    • Government Relations
    • Trade and Tariffs
    • Technology
    • Labour
    • Lawsuit challenges Trump's authority on steel, auto tariffs
      Automaker-supplier relationships take a hit
      Ghosn's ace for growth: Suppliers
      In-demand tech puts wary suppliers on guard, study finds
    • FCA to idle Ontario minivan plant due to parts shortage
      Supplier Brose cutting 100 jobs in Ontario, report says
      Magna's Walker: Pair up to keep cars affordable
      Linamar's Hasenfratz urges industry to lobby against tariffs
    • AutoCanada sues former CEO Patrick Priestner for $250M over dealership acquisitions
      Rolls-Royce names BMW exec its new sales VP for Americas
      How GM's Oshawa closure could affect sales, dealerships
      Commission sales seem to benefit few people, Ontario dealer association says
    • Level 3 autonomous vehicles now allowed on Ontario roads
      Ford adds 149,652 vehicles in Canada to Takata airbag recall
      Honda wants recall notices to be part of registration renewals
      All wet: Rain could delay the arrival of self-driving future
    • How Canada's auto industry can take advantage of new trade deals
      Canada says it will stay out of U.S. ratification fight over new NAFTA
      Trump uses state of the union speech to urge Congress to approve USMCA
      Metal tariffs will sour U.S. Congress on USMCA, lawmaker says
    • Vehicle screens go super-sized at CES as tech catches up
      All in a day's work
      Ford commits US$4 billion to autonomous vehicles, forms new subsidiary
      Massive data breach at Canadian company hits several automakers, report says
    • GM Canada says it will find 2,400 jobs for Oshawa workers
      FCA to idle Ontario minivan plant for 8 days, union says
      Unifor calls for boycott of GM vehicles if automaker closes Oshawa plant
      Canada blindsided by GM Oshawa closure, workers walk out in protest
    • Toronto Auto Show
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Chevy's 2019 Blazer: More Camaro, less Equinox
      Trump's troubling definition of victory
      The 2019 Nautilus: Lincoln's Cadillac Super Cruise fighter?
      What Cadillac dealers can expect from Steve Carlisle
  • EVENTS, WEBINARS & AWARDS
    • 2018 Auto News Canada All Stars
    • Best Dealership To Work For
    • Canada Congress
    • Webinars
    • More women in dealerships is just plain good for business
    • Dealers told standalone stores 'difficult to remain profitable'
      Ford's Joe Hinrichs: Plant closures have 'cascading effects' on industry
      Online shopping will never replace touch, feel of shopping, top execs say
      'Understand how quickly AI is changing the game,' says APMA
  • +MORE
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CLASSIFIEDS
    • CONTACT US
    • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Canada
December 03, 2018 12:00 AM

The GM Canada policy decision you might have already forgotten

Greg Layson
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Greg Layson is Automotive News Canada's digital and mobile editor.

    General Motors made plenty of headlines in October and November — all of them splashed across our homepage at. From a $3.2-billion profit in the third-quarter, to offering buyouts to 18,000 salaried employees in North America to it’s somewhat shocking announcement that its Oshawa Assembly Plant will likely close after 2019, there was no shortage of news.

    But one of the stories that really caught my attention back in October — and one that was likely quickly forgotten about after news of the cutbacks — was the automaker’s proposed zero-emissions-vehicle policy for the United States and GM Canada’s backing of the idea.

    The automaker on Oct. 26 suggested the United States mandate a particular percentage of annual new-vehicle sales be of the zero-emissions variety; it’s a policy similar to one already in place in Quebec. And GM Canada supports the idea — all in the name of harmonization.

    “We think it’s in Canada’s interest to stay aligned with one common U.S. federal program because that enables Canada to gain the benefit of technological investments and economies of scale that are 10 times larger than that of Canada alone,” GM Canada spokeswoman Jennifer Wright said in an email.

    Supporting a quota approach is in stark contrast to what the Canadian auto industry has been saying in the wake of Quebec’s ZEV policy — which requires automakers to generate credits equal to 3.5 per cent of sales for model year 2018, rising annually — and during the federal government’s pursuit of a national ZEV strategy.

    GM’s proposal calls on the United States to establish ZEV requirements — by credits — each year, starting at seven per cent in 2021 and increasing two per cent each year to 15 per cent by 2025, then 25 per cent by 2030.

    It’s not clear Ottawa has ruled out a national sales mandate, but associations representing automakers in Canada have long been against it.

    “You can’t force supply for which there’s no demand,” Mark Nantais, president of the Canadian Automobile Manufacturers Association, once told me.

    David Adams, president of the import-oriented Global Automakers of Canada, previously said that rather than resorting to quotas, a better idea is to have levels of government expand the range of incentives and increase the public’s understanding that driveway-ready EVs are available now.

    But that’s unlikely to happen now that Ontario, under a majority Progressive Conservative government, has scrapped the electric-vehicle incentive program that used to provide a rebate of up to $14,000 per sale.

    So, if just two provinces — B.C. and Quebec — offer incentives and the federal government is serious about its climate-change action plan, quotas and mandates may be on the horizon.

    Especially if one of the biggest automakers in the world now backs the idea — like it or not.

    Recommended for You
    Digital Edition
    Thumbnail
    View latest issue
    See our archive
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up today for our Weekly Newsletter, Daily Newsletter and Breaking News Alerts. We'll deliver the news you need to know straight to your inbox.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Subscribe Today

    An Automotive News Canada subscription includes 12 monthly issues – delivered in print to your doorstep, and digitally to your inbox – plus unlimited, 24/7 access to our website.

    Subscribe
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Our Mission

    The Automotive News Canada mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in Canada.

    Contact Us

    PO Box 243
    Station A
    Windsor, ON
    N9A 6K7

    1-877-812-1257

    Email Us

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • Advertise with Us
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS BY BRAND
      • Aston Martin
      • BMW
        • Mini
        • Rolls Royce
      • Daimler
        • Mercedes Benz
        • Smart
      • Fiat Chrysler
        • Alfa Romeo
        • Chrysler
        • Dodge
        • Ferrari
        • Fiat
        • Jeep
        • Lancia
        • Maserati
        • Ram
      • Ford
        • Lincoln
      • General Motors
        • Buick
        • Cadillac
        • Chevrolet
        • GMC
      • Honda
        • Acura
      • Hyundai
        • Kia
      • Mazda
      • Mitsubishi
      • Nissan
        • Infiniti
      • Subaru
      • Tata
        • Jaguar
        • Land Rover
      • Tesla
      • Toyota
        • Lexus
      • Volkswagen
        • Audi
        • Bentley
        • Bugatti
        • Lamborghini
        • Porsche
      • Volvo
    • News
      • Auto Shows
        • Toronto Auto Show
      • Photo Galleries
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • Retail
      • Government Relations
      • Trade and Tariffs
      • Technology
      • Labour
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
    • EVENTS, WEBINARS & AWARDS
      • 2018 Auto News Canada All Stars
      • Best Dealership To Work For
      • Canada Congress
      • Webinars
    • +MORE
      • NEWSLETTERS
      • SUBSCRIBE
      • CLASSIFIEDS
      • CONTACT US
      • DIGITAL EDITION