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.

 
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.”

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