BC's New Conservative Government Pledges to Scrap EV Sales Quotas

British Columbia's first Conservative majority government in 93 years has pledged to scrap the province's zero-emission vehicle sales quota, a hard right turn for the province that has led North America in EV adoption for over a decade. Premier-elect Lorne Doerkson's platform is unequivocal: "End the zero-emission vehicle sales quota and you choose the vehicle that works for your family and work."

What the platform proposes

Beyond the ZEV quota, the Conservative platform includes:

• Repeal the CleanBC climate plan — the previous government's target to lower emissions by 40% by 2030
• Double natural gas and LNG production by 2032, tripling it by 2035
• Establish BC as a critical minerals hub
• Support renewable technology "as long as it can be shown to be as reliable and affordable and environmentally friendly as the alternatives"

The ZEV quota in context

The Zero-Emission Vehicle Act, enacted in 2019, was accelerated in 2023 to mandate 26% of all light-duty and Class 2B vehicle sales be ZEVs by 2026, 90% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. Earlier this year, the targets were dropped to 75% by 2035. The incoming government's promise to scrap the quota entirely would be a significant reversal from the province's long-standing EV leadership.

What happens next

Doerkson is currently the interim leader and will be sworn in around mid-November. Before the platform can be executed, he needs to become the official party leader, choose his cabinet, and allocate portfolios. A "first 100 days" agenda is likely to set the pace for change in the EV and clean energy sectors.

Industry watchers are drawing parallels to Ontario, where Premier Doug Ford scrapped the $14,000 provincial EV purchase incentive within days of taking office in 2018. Whether BC follows a similar rapid rollback remains to be seen.

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