The federal government is not budging on its plan to mandate the sale of zero-emission vehicles starting in 2026, but after months of dialogue with industry, is showing some willingness to build flexibility into the sales requirements, according to the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association.
CADA officials, joined by a number of local dealers, met Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault in Montreal in August.
During the meeting, which CADA Public Affairs Director Huw Williams described as “one of the more productive” the organization has had with the federal government since the mandate was first floated, the dealers walked Guilbeault and senior staff through the current challenges in the electric vehicle market, and made suggestions about ways to smooth the transition.
“The government’s been crystal clear on the direction of the mandate and don’t seem to be moving off that at all. What we’re talking about now is whether there’s flexibilities that are built in that are smart,” Williams told Automotive News Canada.