The committee studied the electric vehicle availability standard (EVAS), hearing from representatives of Clean Energy Canada, Electric Mobility Canada, a car dealership, Accelerate: Canada's ZEV Supply Chain Alliance, the Energy Futures Institute, and New Economy Canada.
Joanna Kyriazis argued that the EVAS is essential to drive down EV costs for Canadians by incentivizing automakers to offer lower-priced models, noting that Europe has 21 EV models under $40,000 while Canada has only one. She acknowledged that short-term relief for automakers may be needed due to U.S. tariffs but warned that repealing the standard would deprive Canadians of affordable EVs, compromise jobs in charging and critical mineral sectors, and slow the modernization of Canada's auto sector.
Daniel Breton countered what he called falsehoods about the EVAS, stating it is not a $20,000 tax on gas cars, does not require dealers to sell a set percentage of EVs, and will not cost 38,000 jobs when EV industry job creation is considered. He emphasized that the standard provides market predictability for investors and that the EV industry already employs 130,000 workers, with projections of up to 600,000 jobs by 2035.
Doug Green testified that his rural dealership invested $200,000 to sell EVs but sold only three units in three years at a loss, citing lack of consumer demand due to cold climate, limited range, insufficient charging infrastructure, and high costs. He argued that mandates force dealers to sell products customers do not want and that the free market should drive adoption, warning that continued mandates could put family-run dealerships out of business.
Matthew Fortier proposed reforming the EVAS to include Canadian content requirements, allowing automakers to earn compliance credits by investing in critical mineral mining, battery processing, manufacturing, and R&D in Canada, capped at 10% of annual obligations. He argued this would create jobs and strengthen the domestic supply chain, warning that without such reforms, Canada risks importing all EVs and losing its auto sector.
Barry Penner highlighted declining EV market share in Canada, from 12.5% to 8.6% in early 2025, and argued that mandates penalize vehicles built in Canada while rewarding imports. He recommended giving credit to conventional hybrids, removing the cap on plug-in hybrids, rewarding Canadian value-chain investment with credits, and aligning targets with grid capacity, noting that full electrification could require up to 19 additional Site C dams.
Merran Smith supported keeping the EVAS but with adjustments, including removing the 2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles, recalibrating 2026-2030 targets, resuming rebates with a phase-down plan, and using credits to incentivize charging infrastructure and price reductions. She argued that the EVAS sends a critical market signal to attract investment in Canada's battery supply chain and that repealing it would cede the auto sector to other countries.
The committee briefly debated and passed a motion to allow up to three associate members per party to receive meeting notices and access the digital binder until January 26, 2026.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.