Quebec plans to ban the sale of gas vehicles by 2035

In an interview with La Presse, Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette revealed that the province will ban the sale of new gas vehicles by 2035. This is part of a “zero emissions” plan to counter climate change, to be detailed officially in an announcement on Monday, which comes with a $6.7-billion investment, much of which will be spent on the “electrification” of the market.

Setting 2035 as a goal for banning gas-powered cars in Quebec makes this province the most progressive in the country when it comes to going electric. Only B.C. has announced such a goal, and theirs is 2040; the Trudeau government has also said it hopes to end the sale of new gas vehicles by 2040. The state of California is planning a similar ban by 2035, while Sweden has set its goal for 2030.

At the moment, half of the electric vehicles sold in Canada are sold in Quebec, and yet less than 2% of vehicles on the road in this province are electric or hybrid. Barette explained that the government aims to increase this percentage rapidly by imposing quotas on car dealerships.

As part of Quebec’s ongoing Roulez vert program, the province gives $8,000 to anyone who purchases an electric vehicle (an amount that is expected to go down as electric vehicles become the norm), while the federal rebate is $5,000.

The ban will apply to new vehicles only (so second-hand gas-powered cars can still be sold), but there is one exemption: vehicles used for commercial and industrial purposes. ■

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