British Columbia has scrapped its requirement that all new vehicles sold by 2035 be electric, abandoning both the 2035 mandate and a 90% target for 2030 that Energy Minister Adrian Dix called unrealistic.
The province also permanently ended its rebate program, which offered up to $4,000 for electric vehicle purchases before suspension in May. Officials now expect Ottawa to handle future incentives.
Dix told reporters on Tuesday that targets must balance aspiration with achievability. The governing New Democrats plan legislation next spring to align provincial mandates with federal targets after Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended Ottawa’s 2026 implementation and launched a review in September.
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British Columbia’s framework required 26% of 2026 sales be zero-emission, rising to 90% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Federal targets set 20% for 2026 and 100% by 2035.
While Dix maintained automakers can meet next year’s 26% target, government data shows emission-free vehicles represented 22.4% of British Columbia’s 2024 sales, compared with less than 1% in 2015. Dix blamed federal tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles for contributing to affordability challenges.
Blair Qualey, president of the New Car Dealers Association of BC, welcomed the changes as short-term relief but stressed affordability must remain central. BC Conservative spokesman Hon Chan, an electric vehicle owner, criticized the unclear timeline and predicted sales could drop significantly without rebates.
British Columbia maintains 7,000 charging stations with plans for 10,000 by 2030. The province has more than 210,000 zero-emission vehicles registered and leads North America in adoption rates.
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