Skip to main content

ZEV standard: automakers to provide more hybrid and EVs, Quebec

The government of Quebec has approved its Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Standard to allow the province to regulate automakers and ensure sustained growth in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road for meeting needs of its citizenry. It is part of a continuum of solutions to improve air quality as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will come into effect in early 2018.
December 22, 2017 Read time: 3 mins
The government of Quebec has approved its Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Standard to allow the province to regulate automakers and ensure sustained growth in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road for meeting needs of its citizenry. It is part of a continuum of solutions to improve air quality as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will come into effect in early 2018.

 
Automakers covered by the standard will earn credits through the sale of ZEV or low-emission vehicles to residents. Credits will be awarded in proportion to efficiency in zero-emission mode. The percentage of mandatory credits will be calculated by the total number of new vehicles sold or leased in the province and manufacturers will start earning credits with model year 2018.
 
Major automakers who sell or lease more than 20,000 vehicles in Quebec annually, will need to earn a specified percentage of credits based exclusively on ZEV models, starting in 2020. Manufacturers that do not achieve their target will be required to purchase credits from other automakers that have excess credits available or pay a fee to the government. Income will be paid to the Green Fund and used to support climate change projects.
 
These regulations also permit vehicles that have been upgraded by car makers and licensed for the first time in Quebec to qualify for credits. This measure was included to make it possible for low-income households to choose ZEVs.
 
The ZEV standard is consistent with the targets set out in the Transportation Electrification Action Plan 2015–2020 and the 2013–2020 Climate Change Action Plan. It adds to a series of government measures, including a rebate on the purchase price of EVs, funding for charging stations, the development of an extended network of charging stations in all regions of the province and other ZEV benefits such as the free use of toll bridges.

Quebec's government has created a committee to monitor the evolution of the dossier; led by the Corporation des concessionnaires automobile du Québec and the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques. Its representatives will rely on the Coalition zéro émission Québec and Steven Guilbeault, cofounder and senior director of Équiterre.
 
Isabelle Melançon, minister of sustainable development, environment and the Fight against Climate Change, said: "The current vehicle offering does not meet growing consumer demand. Many Québécois want to drive clean vehicles but face a dearth of cars on the market and/or discouragingly lengthy waiting times. We need to release these limitations on consumer choice, and that is the intent of the ZEV.”

More information about the ZEV standard is available %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external here false http://http//www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/changementsclimatiques/vze/index-en.htm false false%>.

Related Content

  • January 2, 2018
    CVMA: Quebec's ZEV plan may create unintended consequences
    The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association’s (CVMA’s) president Mark Nantais has stated that Quebec’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulations “may result in unintended consequences for consumers, automobile dealers, industry and ultimately, Quebec's economy,” in response to the new strategy introduced by the province’s government. The standard aims to increase the number of ZEVs in the region and to reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions. It will come into effect on the 11 January 2018.
  • January 25, 2019
    Colorado signs exec order to support transition to ZEVs
    Governor of Colorado Jared Polis has signed an executive order which outlines a suite of initiatives to support a transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEV) in the US state. Polis says: “Our goal is to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and embrace the green energy transition already underway economy-wide” He believes the public health and environmental benefits of widespread transportation electrification will increase as the state moves towards a cleaner electric grid. The initiatives include
  • December 19, 2018
    Keolis Canada to acquire 12 e-buses from Lion Electric
    Keolis Canada has ordered 12 electric Type C all-electric school buses from Lion Electric to transport hundreds of children in the Lanaudière region, Quebec. The fleet will operate alongside two other Type C e-buses which Keolis ordered in 2016. Overall, the service is expected to transport 700 school students as of 2019. A survey from Lion shows that public opinion is behind the move - more than 90% of the 907 respondents say they want schools and boards to promote the use of electric buses. Other fin
  • September 13, 2018
    UK government reveals £400m EV charging network boost
    The UK government is providing £400m to create an electric vehicle (EV) charging point infrastructure, in partnership with the automotive industry. UK prime minister Theresa May says the government will ensure charge points can be easily accessed and available at motorway service stations and other petrol stations. There will also be £1.5bn for the development of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVS). Speaking at the country’s first Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Summit in Birmingham, May unveiled an ‘am