Quebec is making the biggest move in the country to reduce transportation emissions and greenhouse gasses. Premier Francois Legault said today that the province will ban the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles as of 2035, part of its plan to cut greenhouse gases by 37.5 per cent from 1990 levels in 2030.
B.C. was the first Canadian province to make such a move, with the ban on gas cars coming into effect in 2040, but for most automakers, this Quebec announcement is just two or three generations of vehicles away.
The Premier made the announcement along with Environment Minister Benoît Charette, saying that the province would spend $6.7 billion over the next five years to help deal with climate change and that much of that would go to EV subsidies. Quebec boasts that most of its electricity comes from clean hydroelectric sources, and so more than 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the province come from transport, largely cars and trucks.
Targets for the plan include 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on PQ roads by 2030, with 40 per cent of taxis, 55 per cent of city buses and 65 per cent of school buses to be electric by 2030. They're also expecting to make most government vehicles electric (100 per cent of everything but pickups) and to build 2,500 fast chargers and 4,500 Level 2 charging stations by 2030 to help make the transition to electric quicker and easier. Other measures will address other parts of the economy including manufacturing and home heating emissions.
Incentives on EVs will be renewed, as well as those on electric vehicle charging. Assistance programs for businesses and the taxi industry will also become available.
"Among all the American states and all the Canadian provinces, Quebec is the place that emits the least greenhouse gases per capita. This is a reality of which we can be proud. But rather than being satisfied with it, I invite Quebeckers to capitalize on this pride to go further, to meet the challenge of climate change and to fundamentally transform our economy," said Premier Legault.
