Once touted as a key part of fighting climate change, the provincial and federal governments are now eyeing whether to roll back electric vehicle mandates to deal with flatlining demand and what seem like unachievable short-term targets.

Energy Minister Adrian Dix confirmed B.C. is looking at altering its EV program and mandates to respond to factors like rising vehicle costs, the U.S. trade war and public backlash over leading EV manufacturer Tesla.

“We’re looking at it all, we’re looking at what the best way is to continue to climb,” Dix said in an interview.

“I’m very optimistic about the mid-term future. But we have to look at it all—not whether we have mandates, but what the mandates are.”

The BC NDP government passed a law in 2019 that mandates 26 per cent of all new light-duty vehicle sales be EVs by 2026, rising to 90 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.

The province had in the past appeared to be cruising to shatter the 2026 targets. But B.C.’s rate slid to 19.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, and largely stalled out in the two years prior, according to........

© BIV