Quebec wants to prevent the registration of vehicles from elsewhere that will not respect its 2035 standards

In order to avoid seeing vehicles that meet federal standards but not those of La Belle Province, Quebec intends to further regulate registrations from 2035.

Quebec officially adopted a strict standard on Monday that bans combustion engine vehicles from model year 2035.

The Canadian standard is a little more permissive since it considers as zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) which have an electric range of at least 80 km. In 2035, however, VEHRs will only be able to account for 20% of a manufacturer’s sales.

Nothing currently prevents a motorist from purchasing a vehicle in Ontario, for example, and registering it here. But Quebec intends to close this loophole.

Close the door

“To prevent some people from trying to circumvent the regulations by purchasing combustion vehicles outside Quebec, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) will work in the years to come to modify the Road Safety Code. These changes would aim to make it impossible to register vehicles in Quebec whose sale will be prohibited,” responded Marjorie Larouche, from the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP).

If the concern is theoretical for the moment, the ministry is aware “that several VEHR will exceed 80 or 100 km of autonomy before long”.

For Daniel Breton, of Electric Mobility Canada (MEC), if Quebec’s objective is more ambitious, it is because he knows that manufacturers will have a double advantage in selling a 100% electric vehicle here.

“They will obtain a credit in Quebec or British Columbia (which has a similar program) and another at the federal level,” he explains. Thus, the more restrictive standards here give more leeway to manufacturers at the Canadian level.

Retreat

“Eight years ago, the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid, offered 84 km of range. Today, these cars have declined, while the number of electric vehicles has increased fourfold. With technology evolving so quickly that whether people will prefer a 100% electric or a plug-in hybrid in 2035 will be an obsolete question in my opinion. “It’s like wondering what cell phones will look like in 10 years,” said Mr. Breton.

The MELCCFP considers that VEHR currently allow an easier transition for first buyers of an electric vehicle and does not limit the credits granted for their purchase by 2035.

“As plug-in hybrid vehicles are equipped with dual engines, they will never be able to be priced competitively with gasoline vehicles. Fully electric vehicles, with the steady decline in battery costs and mass production, will reach price parity with gasoline in the coming years. We are therefore of the opinion that in 2035, with a lower price and the evolution of technologies and the charging network, ZEVs will be the option favored by consumers,” concludes the MELCCFP.

Zero emission vehicle

• 1^is January 2034, ban on the marketing of a light combustion vehicle of model years 2035 and later, new or used
• December 31, 2035, the sale and rental of new light combustion vehicles of model years 2034 and earlier will be prohibited
• Light combustion vehicles from model years 2034 and earlier already registered in Quebec will be able to continue to circulate and be resold
• Exceptions: replacement of a defective engine, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, off-road vehicles

Source: MELCCFP

Proportion of zero-emission vehicle sales in Quebec*

* Au 3^e quarter

Source: Electric Mobility Canada (MEC)