GM President welcomes halt on EV mandate, advocates for policy centered on consumers

The Canadian Press published a report on September 6, 2025, announcing that the federal government has delayed its electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate and launched a review.

British Columbia (B.C.) has already met the target set by Ottawa for electric vehicle adoption. However, the funding for B.C.'s electric passenger vehicle rebate program ended in May. This has raised concerns about the actual rate of EV adoption in the future.

Kristian Aquilina, the president of GM Canada, was in Vancouver for an electric vehicle conference over the weekend. He advocated for Canada's EV policies to reflect consumer demand, rather than being a "forced outcome" from federal mandates. Aquilina did not specify what specific changes he is hoping to see, but called the review "welcome."

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal government will not implement a mandate requiring 20% of all new vehicles sold in Canada by next year to be electric. B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said pausing the sales mandate largely reflects circumstances in Ontario.

Aquilina stated that Canada has a wide variety of policies at the provincial level when it comes to electric vehicles. He suggested that the government could maintain the overall purpose of the regulation by adjusting existing compliance flexibilities to provide automakers some breathing room. Options he mentioned for adjusting the regulation include extending credits for plug-in hybrid vehicles and charging infrastructure, modestly adjusting targets, or reevaluating tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

Government documents suggest amendments to the annual sales targets, including the 2035 goal, will be considered during the review. Adam Thorn, director of the transportation program at the Pembina Institute, stated that delaying EV targets serves the auto industry, but not average Canadians.

Kristian Aquilina also stated that the electric vehicle standard ensures a full range of electric vehicles and helps lower prices for consumers by increasing supply. However, he noted that the ending of the rebate program could be a problem in determining the actual rate of electric vehicle adoption in the future.

The federal government's review aims to find "future flexibilities and ways to reduce costs" in the electric-vehicle program. The name of the minister in British Columbia who spoke in connection with pausing the electric vehicle sales mandate is Katrine Conroy. The review comes as a relief to some, while others fear it may not serve the best interests of average Canadians in the long run.