What you need to know about B.C.'s EV rebates after the end of the consumer carbon tax
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National Observer
11 hours ago
- National Observer
Chinese EVs won't break Canada's car market — but they could improve it
When my wife and I travelled to Iceland earlier this summer, I was determined to explore its otherworldly landscape through the windshield of an unfamiliar EV. It was an easy decision. I knew the country had one of the highest EV adoption rates in the world (42 per cent of vehicle sales in Iceland were electric last year) and the rental company had plenty of electric options available. Driving from Reykjavik to Egilsstadir turned out to be a breeze — Iceland has a fantastic charging network — and my wife and I probably saved a few hundred bucks on gas. But here's the kicker: while I thought I was getting an electric Renault, when we went to pick up the car, lo and behold, they handed us the keys to a BYD Dolphin. Some context is in order: my employer, Clean Energy Canada, has been in the news recently with polling conducted with Abacus Data showing that four in five Canadians oppose the current 100 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs and would prefer either a lower tariff or no tariff at all. Little has changed since then. It still remains unclear which path Canada will take on this and other critical EV-related decisions, including the fate of the EV availability standard (a policy requiring automakers to supply more EVs), the promised return of consumer incentives and — at a more fundamental level — whether Canada will follow Trump's metaphorical exhaust pipe or instead align ourselves with the wider world, where one in four cars sold this year are expected to be electric. Lest one think I'm a shill for Chinese EV makers, I assure you my experience was quite the coincidence. I'm only certain I saw one or two other BYDs on the road the entire time we were in Iceland and the one they handed us appeared to be brand new, though apparently they are growing quickly in popularity. I did see a lot of EVs generally, however, including many I've never seen on North American roads. So, what was it like driving a BYD, you wonder? It was, well, perfectly fine. Driving a BYD actually changed how I view Chinese EVs, but not in the way you might think. After all, for Canadians, Chinese EVs are mythical unicorns we read about but never actually drive or even see on the road. Driving a BYD actually changed how I view Chinese EVs, but not in the way you might think. After all, for Canadians, Chinese EVs are mythical unicorns we read about but never actually drive or even see on the road. In reality, it was an economy hatchback with decent range that would directly compete with the Chevy Bolt, a car launched by GM in 2017 and paused in 2023 despite being the most popular non-Tesla EV in the country at the time (a new version should come back next year). What I drove across Iceland wouldn't crush the competition, just as it hasn't in other Western nations, where Chinese EVs typically capture less than 10 per cent of the local EV market. What it would do is give buyers another option — and, crucially, one in the all-important sub-$40,000 category of which Canadians have too long been deprived. (A quick note: no one is selling you a $15,000 EV in Canada, despite whatever headlines you may have read. BYD builds and prices cars for the specific markets it sells in and often still faces tariffs, just not ones set at 100 per cent.) Canada's car market has a serious gap in need of filling: the aforementioned Chevy Bolt has been paused for quite some time, despite its popularity. Nissan never seized its early-market advantage with the Leaf. Tesla spent years building a child's drawing of a truck instead of the affordable mass-market EV it could have. In market research Clean Energy Canada conducted with Abacus Data to be released this September, we found that a price tag under $40,000 was an especially important line for many car buyers — and yet Canada no longer has an appealing electric option to offer these folks. Other places have the affordable EVs budget-minded Canadians want — not all of them Chinese — but early evidence is emerging that the mere presence of Chinese EVs improves local market conditions and consumer adoption. That's what competition does. We know competition is good for affordability and consumers know it too. As for legacy automakers, the existential threat of Chinese EVs isn't the car I drove across Iceland. It was certainly a solid, feature-filled, affordable EV that would find a receptive market here in Canada. But a magical unicorn it was not. I've driven nicer EVs. Rather, the threat of Chinese, European and South Korean EVs is this: while I saw the occasional American truck and many Teslas in Iceland, I did not see a single electric car from a legacy U.S. automaker. Not one. The maxim of our time once again applies: a tariff cannot save America from itself. That's on them. But it certainly shouldn't be on Canada and Canadian consumers.
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
Are EVs really greener than gas-powered cars?
Welcome to our weekly newsletter where we highlight environmental trends and solutions that are moving us to a more sustainable world. Are EVs really greener than gas-powered cars? Ottawa's Carolyn Inch and her partner recently bought a used Tesla Model 3, but quickly started hearing from family, friends and neighbours that their choice was actually bad for the planet. "There's just been a series of question marks raised about the environmental wisdom of our choice," Inch told CBC's climate solutions podcast What On Earth. But she's not alone. Rachel Doran, the executive director of Clean Energy Canada, says that as EVs have become more popular — 17 per cent of all new cars sold in Canada in 2024 were EVs, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) — so too has the misinformation about them. "I think there's various sources for this," she said, "and maybe the best place to start is not assuming people have bad intentions, but rather just they're looking for information and facts and it's hard to know these days as you sift through things." The IEA says EVs are key to decarbonizing road transportation, which is a significant source of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. But one of the things Inch was told is that her EV produced more emissions in manufacturing than what it would ultimately reduce. That's not the case, says Doran. "Overall, EVs have been shown to emit as much as 71 per cent less carbon pollution than gas cars, including pollution from mining, manufacturing and driving," she said. That's comparing the projected emissions produced over their respective lifecycles, based on medium-sized vehicles that were manufactured in 2023 and driven for at least 250,000 kilometres, according to Bloomberg. She says it's true mining the materials for electric vehicle batteries, including lithium and other critical minerals, and manufacturing them does create more emissions than combustion engine vehicle production. "But, what is useful to measure is how many kilometres do you have to drive until you come out even and you start driving on emissions savings for an electric vehicle," she said. That point at which you start to break even depends on the type of electric vehicle and other factors like where it was manufactured and whether your electricity comes from coal, gas or renewable energy. The International Council on Clean Transportation says that an EV charged on an average European power grid, where almost half of electricity is generated using renewable sources, would take about 18,000 km of driving to start paying back its emissions debt, which is about one or two years of driving. In the U.S., it'd be closer to 20,000 km But let's take a Tesla Model 3, for example, which is what Inch and her partner own. A 2021 analysis by Reuters News Agency found you would have to drive a new Tesla Model 3 nearly 22,000 kilometres using a U.S. mix of electricity sources for the emissions reduction to start balancing out what was produced in manufacturing. But Inch bought her Tesla used with about 49,000 kilometres on it, so she may already be coming out ahead of the game. Doran says she thinks EV production will continue to improve and that the emissions associated with manufacturing will drop once more countries that use cleaner energy sources ramp up electric vehicle battery production. Right now, China is the world leader in EV battery production, but produces most of its electricity using coal. Doran points out that while there is room for improvement on the initial emissions produced by EVs, it's the battery that makes EVs more energy efficient overall compared to combustion engine vehicles. "As you're burning gas in a traditional fossil fuel-powered car, you're losing a lot of the useful energy through that combustion trying to move," she said. "Because electric vehicles kind of can make that connection more directly, they convert about 77 to 91 per cent of the energy stored in their batteries into power for movement, whereas gasoline cars convert about 17 to 21 per cent." While batteries make electric vehicles more efficient, they are also what makes them heavier. One other claim that Inch has faced since buying hers is that it weighs too much and that EVs are causing more damage to the roads. Not so, says Doran. She explains that studies have shown that damage to roads is overwhelmingly caused by large vehicles, like buses and transport trucks, but road wear from cars, including EVs, is quite low. Doran says the benefits of electric vehicles are only increasing. But if you're "EV-curious" and have some trouble navigating conversations about your decision to drive an electric vehicle, she has some simple advice: "Don't hesitate to try to talk to a friend or neighbor or somebody sitting charging an electric car at a car station because lots of EV drivers are keen to talk about some of their experience and some of the research they did before they made the choice." Check out our podcast and radio show. In one of our newest episode s: Polar bears, bowhead whales, melting sea ice – the students on these ships see it all. We hear from two students sailing across the Davis Strait from Nunavut to Greenland about what life is like onboard the Students On Ice ships. We also hear from a former student about how her trip sparked her career in climate solutions, and from the founder of the program about how the polar regions have changed since he started the expeditions 25 years ago. What On Earth drops new podcast episodes every Wednesday and Saturday. You can find them on your favourite podcast app or on demand at CBC Listen. The radio show airs Sundays at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador. Check the CBC News Climate Dashboard for live updates on wildfire smoke and active fires across the country. Set your location for information on air quality and to find out how today's temperatures compare to historical trends. Reader Feedback Last week, we had a story about a project in Nova Scotia exploring the potential of charred wood to help farmers and store carbon. Heather Zwicke r responded: "Just popping you a note towards a weird rabbit hole as to say that a source of carbon I wish to contribute to Nova Scotia's flora will be my cremains.… Also … aquamation has a tiny environmental impact and creates the same end result as cremation when it comes to bodies." Unfortunately, pyrolysis of human bodies to produce biochar isn't currently available. Unlike pyrolysis, cremation removes all carbon content from a body, and the heat to burn the body comes from burning natural gas, producing lots of carbon emissions in the process. Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or flameless cremation, does have a smaller environmental impact. In both cases, the "cremains" are generally too salty and acidic to be added directly to soil, although there are techniques to add them to plantings. The Big Picture: How Seville beats the heat Street shades are strung up throughout downtown Seville to protect pedestrians from the sun. The Spanish city, nicknamed the "frying pan of Spain" for its extreme summer temperatures, was recently named a winner of the 2025 edition of Haciendo misión, a competition between Spanish cities on the climate transition. The shades are among many adaptations aimed at cooling the city that contributed to that honour. Others include qanat, an ancient Persian technique based on a system of underground water canals that store "coolness" at night and bioclimactic air conditioning in schools. You can read more about these solutions here. — Emily Chung Hot and bothered: Provocative ideas from around the web "Balkonkraftwerke" is having a moment. The German term for balcony solar panels that plug in to an outlet may be the next big thing to supplement your electricity. But as The New York Times and The Washington Post explore, even this simple tool to save you dozens of dollars comes with big hurdles. It turns out we're not that good at understanding which of our climate decisions have a big impact, and which ones don't, according to a new study. Researchers found most people ranked personal choices that do have a big impact — like owning a pet dog or avoiding flights — as much less important than interventions with a smaller impact. Walmart Chile's Quilicura distribution centre has been producing green hydrogen from the country's abundant renewable energy for two years to power a couple hundred forklifts. In September, it'll start testing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell truck to make deliveries in the Santiago area. As the climate warms, some airplanes may need to carry fewer passengers or less cargo. That means you could get bumped from a flight during heat waves, Yale Climate Connections explains. Scientists say the world needs to eat less meat to meet its climate targets. To counter that, the meat industry has recruited environmental groups such as the Nature Conservancy and WWF to make beef seem more eco-friendly, DeSmog reports. Could cable cars help fix traffic problems in Canada? What if your daily commute didn't mean enduring bumper-to-bumper traffic but soaring above it instead? It sounds like wishful thinking, but in parts of the world, cable cars or gondolas — typically seen at ski resorts or tourist spots — are actually used as public transit, helping people get around in their day-to-day lives. For example, Bogotá, Colombia, relies on the TransMiCable to transport people daily. In Oregon, the Portland Aerial Tram averages 9,000 rides each weekday, while Mi Teléferico in La Paz, Bolivia, has a capacity of as many as 34,000 passengers per hour in each direction. As Canadian cities grapple with "brutal" congestion and spotty transit service, some transportation planners believe cable cars could offer this country an affordable and efficient fix. "It's not very expensive to operate," Reece Martin, a Toronto-based independent transportation planner, told Day 6 host Brent Bambury. "And frankly, they're not very expensive to build, either." "You install some poles, you string some cable and then it's good to go," Martin said. "It's a lot faster to build than some of the transit projects we might be familiar with." Jonathan English, a transportation policy consultant with the Toronto Region Board of Trade, agrees. He says cable cars are "in theory ... potentially significantly cheaper than building an elevated train." For commuters, says Martin, it means no stoplights, no traffic jams. Just climb in, glide over the bustle and arrive calm and stress-free. Proposed cable car lines in B.C., Ontario In Burnaby, B.C., a gondola commute is on the brink of becoming reality. Councillor Daniel Tetrault, vice-chair of the city's transportation committee, says the Burnaby Mountain Gondola is "ready to go." The new aerial link would hook up a SkyTrain station with the top of Burnaby Mountain, home to Simon Fraser University's main campus and a growing community of roughly 7,000 residents. The ride would support about 25,000 trips every weekday. "I'm a former SFU student," Tetrault said. "I remember anytime it's snowing or the weather's iffy, the bus service was unreliable … [a gondola is] an important opportunity that really could connect the university and the rest of Burnaby and the region." Beyond convenience, the environmental impact is huge, says Tetrault. According to TransLink, Metro Vancouver's public transit authority and a proponent of the project, a gondola runs on electricity and a single trip would emit just five grams of carbon dioxide per passenger — a sharp contrast to the roughly 400 grams produced by a diesel bus. Environmental assessments, community consultations, infrastructure design and route selection are complete but Tetrault says the project is currently at a standstill, awaiting funding from the provincial and federal governments. For it to move forward, he adds, it must be recognized as a priority and included in an investment plan approved by the TransLink board and the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation. TransLink confirmed in a statement to the CBC that the Burnaby Mountain Gondola is part of its Ten-Year Access for Everyone plan but remains unfunded. "The next step for the project is to complete the business case and acquire funding through a future Investment Plan update," the statement said. While gondolas are ideal for steep terrain like Burnaby Mountain, English says they could also "potentially" help untangle congestion in busy city centres. He sees gondolas as a potential solution in parts of Toronto that have rapid residential growth but "slow, crowded or unreliable" transit access. Just east of Toronto, in Oshawa, Ont., a proposed Aerial Cable Car Transit line would run along Simcoe Street. Following a review, regional staff recommended the cable car over traditional buses, citing advantages such as greater speed and reliability. As well, Simcoe Street's narrow roadway and densely packed buildings make expanding traditional bus service challenging. Adding a new bus route could mean reducing parking spaces, eliminating traffic lanes and expropriating private property. English is realistic, saying there's no "silver bullet" to fix congestion. He says gondolas work well in some situations but not everywhere. Still, he calls them "one tool in the toolbox" and says having more options is always better. Martin believes the biggest barrier to adopting gondolas as public transit is people's perception of them. "It's really an issue of just kind of getting one built," said Martin. "So that you have an example to point to and say, 'Hey, they did it over there and it's very successful and it was a good investment.'" — Catherine Zhu
Toronto Star
08-08-2025
- Toronto Star
It's one of the cheapest EVs in the world and Canadians can't buy one. Here's what it's like to drive it
Trevor Melanson rented a BYD Dolphin in Iceland this summer and got to drive one of the world's most inexpensive EVs, which have been kept out of Canada due to 100 per cent tariffs on all Chinese-built electric cars. Trevor Melanson
