Leading automotive industry associations today (June 25) unveiled the Countdown to 2035 that tracks the time remaining to Canada's 100% zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales target by 2035.
The Countdown to 2035 highlights the public charging infrastructure gap that needs to be closed by 2035. Achieving the federal government's mandated ZEV sales targets depends on widespread, convenient, and reliable public charging options for Canadians. Closing the charging gap requires over 100 public chargers to come online every day for the next 11 years.
"As the Federal Government's ZEV aspirations start to meet market realities around the country, the Countdown to 2035 will provide valuable information and insights as to what is required, where and at what pace," stated Tim Reuss, President & CEO of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association. "The bottom line is Canadians need federal action for better, more reliable charging infrastructure and supports for purchasing ZEVs in every segment of the market."
"Higher levels of ZEV adoption will be driven by consumer demand, not government mandates," said Brian Kingston, President & CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association. "Canadians cannot be mandated to purchase electric vehicles without first providing them with the ability to conveniently charge their vehicles no matter where they live".
"There are three key factors to broader ZEV adoption which are, the consumer, the consumer and the consumer," said David Adams, President & CEO of Global Automakers of Canada. "Consumers will ultimately decide whether a ZEV works for their lifestyle or not and make no mistake, the industry needs Canadians to purchase ZEVs. Governments need to be making this choice easier for Canadians and not more difficult, such as the unilateral measures made last week by the BC government to severely restrict EV purchase incentives for BC consumers. This is counterproductive to the goal of greater EV adoption."
The Countdown to 2035 was developed by the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (CVMA), and Global Automakers of Canada (GAC), as part of a larger initiative aimed at helping Canadians and political leaders understand what is needed to succeed in the transformation to electrification. More information can be found at Roadto2035.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Tim Reuss, CEO, Canadian Automobile Dealers Association Email: treuss@cada.ca
Brian Kingston, President, CEO, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association
Email: bkingston@cvma.ca
David Adams, President, CEO, Global Automakers of Canada Email: dadams@globalautomakers.ca
About the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association
The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) is the national association representing new car and truck dealers. Our 3,200 members are represented in nearly every community and collectively employ 178,000 people across the country.
About the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association
The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association is the industry association that has represented Canada's leading manufacturers of light and heavy duty motor vehicles for more than 90 years. Its membership includes Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, General Motors of Canada Company, and Stellantis (FCA Canada Inc.). Collectively its members operate 5 vehicle assembly plants as well as engine and components plants and have over 1,300 dealerships. 136,000 jobs are directly tied to vehicle assembly in Canada. Direct and indirect jobs associated with vehicle manufacturing are estimated at over 792,000 across Canada.
About the Global Automakers of Canada:
Global Automakers (GAC) is the national industry association representing the Canadian interests of 16 of the world's most respected automakers.
The GAC advocates for sound public policy to support a competitive and sustainable automotive market in Canada. Our members are committed to meeting the mobility needs of Canadians by providing greater consumer choice, offering leading edge safety and environmental technologies and eliminating unnecessary regulatory and trade barriers.
