Independent EV journalism
Toronto · Est. 2026
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81 stories
Federal and provincial EV policy in Canada — the iZEV rebate program, provincial incentives from Quebec’s Roulez vert to BC’s CleanBC Go Electric, the ZEV mandate and its 2035 target, tariff decisions on Chinese-built vehicles, and how each rule change affects what Canadians pay at the dealership. We read the regulations and budget bills so you get the number that matters, not the press-release version.
The federal Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program offers up to $5,000 for eligible battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, applied at the point of sale through participating dealerships. The separate federal EV Adoption Program (EVAP) shapes rebate step-downs from 2027 through 2030. Our policy section tracks eligibility caps, eligible model lists, and program funding pauses as they are announced.
Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) sales mandate requires increasing percentages of new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission, reaching 100% by 2035. The federal government has consulted on amendments, and Quebec maintains its own ZEV standard targeting 100% by 2035 while British Columbia legislated 100% by 2035 with an interim 26% light-duty target for 2026. Our policy section follows each regulatory development and its effective dates.
Quebec’s Roulez vert program and BC’s CleanBC Go Electric rebate can be combined with the federal iZEV incentive, while Ontario currently has no provincial EV purchase rebate. Provinces also differ on charger rebates, electricity rates for home charging, and single-occupancy HOV-lane access. Our policy and rebates coverage compares what each province offers as programs change.
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5 min
Hours before Canada's retaliatory tariffs on $27.6 billion of U.S. goods took effect September 8, APMA president Flavio Volpe said Washington is ready to hurt its own carmakers to win concessions — and warned Ottawa that a bad deal would trigger worse disinvestment than any tariff. USMCA exemptions hang in the balance.
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4 min
Several hundred protesters marched in Quebec City on September 7 demanding a moratorium on new wind projects and a province-wide BAPE hearing, as Hydro-Québec's plan to triple wind capacity becomes the largest near-term piece of its supply buildout for EVs and electrification.
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4 min
Chinese-built EV imports hit 15,063 of Canada's 24,500-vehicle quota as of August 24 — 61.5% used with a week to go. Sub-$35k imports now outnumber the over-$35k class, and unused spots carry into the September window. Here's the data.
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4 min
Transport Canada recall 2026-407 covers 27,918 Outlander and Outlander PHEV SUVs over Bosch display software that can freeze or blank the rearview camera. Here is what Canadian owners need to know.
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5 min
Global Affairs Canada data shows only 15,603 of 24,500 first-window Chinese-EV import permits were used by August 31. The 8,897 unused slots roll into a second window running through February 2027 with 33,397 total permits — while BYD, Chery and Geely still await certification.
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4 min
FCA's recall 89D (NHTSA 26V562000) covers 328,381 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee L and Grand Cherokee 4xe SUVs whose rear coil springs can detach while driving — including vehicles already repaired under the 2023 and February 2026 recalls. Canadian unit counts are still to be confirmed.
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4 min
Canada's first seniors-led electric vehicle caravan left Victoria on Sept. 8 and converges on Ottawa Sept. 19, as Parliament reconvenes. Here's the route, the numbers and what the Seniors' Climate Witness Caravan is demanding.
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4 min
Transport Canada and NHTSA are recalling 86,543 2023-2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers after rear quarter-window trim pieces can detach while driving, creating a road hazard for following vehicles.
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4 min
Transport Canada and NHTSA are recalling 42,784 2021-2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers after a rear differential pinion shaft can fracture, causing sudden loss of power or unintended movement.
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5 min
Prime Minister Mark Carney's Toronto investment summit showcased clean-energy projects, but the deal book also includes $100 billion in new oil and gas proposals — raising questions about whether Canada's electricity expansion can keep pace with EV demand.
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2 min
The Canadian federal government has taken a significant step toward scrapping the country’s electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate, even as the stricter…
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4 min
Prime Minister Mark Carney tells The New York Times that Canada is pursuing European and South Korean satellite partnerships to diversify away from SpaceX's Starlink, particularly for defence communications. Telesat Lightspeed remains the domestic alternative.
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4 min
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he'll oppose any Stellantis deal to build Leapmotor EVs in Brampton using Chinese knockdown kits, calling it a threat to auto workers. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says new auto investments must prioritize Canadian labour and parts — while Unifor raises 'serious concerns.'
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4 min
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has ruled out knockdown-kit assembly if Stellantis wants to build Leapmotor EVs at the idled Brampton plant — requiring provincial and Unifor backing, worker conditions 'even better' than before, and secure software compliant with U.S. trade deals.
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3 min
An August 2026 internal federal poll found only 35% of Canadians support mandatory electric vehicle sales quotas, underscoring the political challenge facing Ottawa's EV policy as it moves away from prescriptive mandates.
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5 min
Pete Hoekstra, U.S. ambassador to Canada, told Rebel News that Chinese electric vehicles legally imported into Canada will not be allowed across the U.S. border — citing security concerns over connected-vehicle data. The remarks come after Ottawa cut tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6.1% under a 49,000-vehicle quota.
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6 min
How much CO2 an EV actually saves per province in Canada — annual tonnage by grid, gas-car equivalents, and the total climate impact of switching.
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6 min
How carbon pricing interacts with EV ownership in Canada — fuel charge savings, electricity treatment, and the real annual math for EV drivers.
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5 min
EV noise regulations in Canada are evolving in 2026. Here is what acoustic vehicle alert systems mean for drivers, pedestrians, and automakers — and how Canada compares to the US and EU.
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4 min
Draft regulations published August 15 would repeal the federal EV sales mandate and replace it with technology-neutral GHG targets of 75% EV sales by 2035. Stakeholders have until October 29, 2026 to weigh in.
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5 min
A federal Ekos Research poll of 3,035 Canadians finds just 35% supported the 100% zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, with 49% opposed and opposition peaking at 63% in Alberta. The survey, commissioned by Natural Resources Canada for $70,759, surfaced weeks before Cabinet served notice of repeal on Aug. 15.
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4 min
Transport Canada is recalling 3,221 2026 Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport, Explorer, Mustang and Ranger models with 1.5L or 2.3L engines after pistons that may not have been manufactured properly were found to crack and cause sudden engine failure.
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4 min
The Canadian Climate Institute's 440 Megatonnes project says Canada won't hit its 2030 emissions target before 2050 under current policies — a gap of 202 million tonnes in 2040, driven partly by rolled-back EV policy.
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5 min
The Hub analysis reveals the 49,000-vehicle quota Ottawa negotiated with Beijing equals nearly 28% of every EV sold in Canada last year — rising to 67,000 by 2031. Taiwan bans Chinese cars outright; the U.S. blocks them from 2027.
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5 min
A lithium-ion battery fire at the Summerside Sunbank solar farm started on Labour Day and took 14 days to contain. Fire experts say volunteer departments lack training and national strategy for grid-scale battery fires, which behave like self-fuelling flamethrowers.
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5 min
More than 60 municipalities and two provinces now have EV-ready requirements for new buildings, a 20% increase from 2024, with BC and Ontario leading adoption.
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4 min
Alstom will build 313 Adessia rail cars for VIA Rail Canada's long-distance, regional and remote routes under a C$4.7 billion agreement — carbody work in La Pocatière, final assembly in Thunder Bay, first fleet renewal in decades.
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7 min
EV emissions by Canadian province — grid carbon intensity from Quebec's hydro to Alberta's gas fleet, and what it means for your EV's actual footprint.
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4 min
General Motors issues safety recall for 2024-2025 Cadillac Optiq electric vehicles due to potential window pinch protection system failure that could increase injury risk.
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4 min
Ontario's updated EV charging rules for landlords and condo boards — what property owners must provide, tenant rights, and the new requirements for multi-unit buildings.
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6 min
Canada's 2035 climate targets explained — where transport emissions fit, how EV adoption moves the needle, and what the mandate changes mean for the plan.
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5 min
JPSM Golf, a Pickering, Ont. business that sells remote-controlled electric golf trolleys, was hit with a $182,883 tariff bill after CBSA reclassified its products under the now-repealed China Surtax Order. The owner says his business is in jeopardy.
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4 min
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has extended the federal fuel excise tax holiday to January 31, 2027. The 10-cent-per-litre gas increase returns in stages — 5 cents February 1, the full 10 cents April 1 — adding $2.9 billion to the deficit.
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4 min
British Columbia has updated building codes to require EV charging readiness in new multi-unit residential buildings. The change shifts the cost question from 'if' to 'who pays' — and tenants may not like the answer.
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5 min
The first Chinese-built electric vehicles are landing at Canadian ports under the Carney government's 24,500-vehicle import quota — and BYD is the brand most often named. Here is what the import data shows and what it means for Canadian EV prices.
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4 min
Nova Scotia becomes the fourth province to tax electric vehicles, charging $500 per registration renewal for EVs and $250 for plug-in hybrids starting October 1, 2026. Traditional hybrids are exempt.
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4 min
The U.S. will double tariffs on Canadian-built cars and parts to 50% starting January 1, 2027. Canada answered with retaliatory tariffs up to 50% on hundreds of U.S. goods — but left vehicles off the list. Here's what it means for Canadian EV buyers.
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5 min
Canada announced $28 billion in retaliatory tariffs on 700 U.S. goods after 50 percent tariffs on Canadian products took effect this weekend. For Canadian EV buyers, the trade war means higher prices, shifting manufacturing plans, and a push for made-in-Ontario vehicles.
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5 min
Quebec has quietly confirmed its 2035 ZEV target now requires 80% electric or plug-in hybrid sales instead of 100%, with interim targets for 2026–2034 slashed by up to a third. Non-plug-in hybrids now earn 0.25 credits through 2027. Here is the full year-by-year table and what it means for Canadian buyers.
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5 min
Toronto pumps hit 180.9 cents per litre with diesel heading to 245.9¢ — up from 143.9¢ a year ago — and CP24 reports growing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles as fuel costs climb. Here's what the numbers mean for Canadian drivers doing the EV math.
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5 min
Canada's 49,000-vehicle Chinese EV quota is only 31% used after eight months, and the federal government says the slow start is partly because Chinese automakers are still seeking safety certification to sell here. The next six months should tell us whether the Carney-Xi trade deal actually delivers affordable EVs to Canadian buyers.
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4 min
Toronto Fire Services responded to two lithium-ion battery fires hours apart on Sept. 6 — an e-bike blaze near St. Clair and Bathurst and an apartment fire near Crescent Town. Chief Jim Jessop says battery fires are up 200 per cent since 2022 and is pushing for fire-code changes.
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2 min
Tesla’s unusual stance on Cybertruck trade-ins has left some Canadian owners scratching their heads. Multiple owner reports and Tesla's own trade-in estimator confirm the…
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5 min
Tesla is hiring AI Safety Operators in Ottawa with ride-hailing operations duties — the strongest signal yet that Robotaxi expansion to Canada is being prepped. What we know, and what provincial rules allow today.
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5 min
Canada's 49,000-slot reduced-tariff quota for China-made EVs was supposed to open the market to BYD, Geely and Leapmotor. Six months in, Tesla is the biggest beneficiary — and the second window just got bigger.
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3 min
Transport Canada has recalled 454 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles whose low-beam headlights can exceed legal brightness limits — the Canadian follow-up to a 20,349-vehicle U.S. recall. Here's who's affected and what happens next.
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5 min
Canada’s EV sales mandate was scrapped in 2026. Here is what changed, why it matters for buyers and automakers, and whether federal EV targets still exist.
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5 min
China's regulator ordered Tesla to recall 2.98 million EVs over electronic door handles that can trap occupants after a crash — the flaw Toronto Star investigators linked to a deadly 2024 Toronto fire. Transport Canada's investigation is still open. What Canadian drivers should know.
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5 min
Canada's first 24,500-vehicle Chinese-EV quota window ends August 31 with more than 11,000 permits unclaimed. The second window opens September 1 with carry-over headroom — and no new allocation rules despite a spring consultation. Tesla's Shanghai-built Model 3 took the lion's share of window one.
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4 min
It is at least the fourth inattentive-Tesla incident in B.C. this year. Police traced the 45-year-old driver to her Maple Ridge home using witness video from Highway 1 in North Vancouver.
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4 min
A Langley man was fined $368 after a B.C. Highway Patrol officer captured video of him asleep at the wheel on the Trans-Canada Highway on August 27, 2026 — the second such ticket in B.C. in under three weeks.
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4 min
New analysis shows stricter vehicle emissions standards could lower EV prices while maintaining automaker profitability in Canada.
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4 min
Toyota's Canadian recall for second-row seatback recliners now covers 52,750 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid SUVs from model years 2021-2025, up from 40,000. Toyota says don't carry passengers in the second row until the free spring replacement is done.
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3 min
Tesla has received the green light from Nevada regulators to launch a commercial robotaxi service, marking a significant milestone in the company’s push…
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4 min
Canada's newest counter-tariffs — up to 50% on C$27.6 billion of U.S. goods — took effect September 8, but they spare the Teslas Canadians are actually buying. Shanghai-built Model 3s enter under a 6.1% MFN tariff, while only U.S.-built Cybertrucks still face the auto counter-tariff regime.
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5 min
Northern Graphite has postponed the restart of Lac des Îles, North America's only commercial flake graphite mine, after Quebec suspended its mining lease over a restoration-payment dispute. The company had just $200,000 in cash.
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4 min
Transport Canada data shows Toyota claimed 15,826 EVAP incentives through July 2026 — nearly double Chevrolet — with the bZ the single most incentivized vehicle. Quebec took 56% of all rebates.
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4 min
The 2026 Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration Study shows EV consideration rising to 34% from 28% last year, driven by rising fuel costs and the new EVAP rebate program. But Quebec lags at 16th place for Tesla Model Y claims.
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5 min
Ontario has no provincial EV purchase rebate in 2026 — here's what that means, what the federal EVAP program still pays, and the few perks (Green Plate HOV, utility programs) that remain.
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5 min
Quebec's EV rebate is smaller in 2026 — up to $2,000 on a new BEV plus up to $600 for a home charger — but it still stacks on the federal EVAP rebate. Here's who qualifies and how to maximize savings.
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5 min
Ontario recorded its highest-ever EV market share in June 2026: 9.4 percent of new vehicle sales, or 7,365 cars, up 94 percent year-over-year — and it happened without a provincial rebate. Nationally, 21,876 ZEVs were sold as the federal $5,000 incentive bites.
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5 min
CBC investigation finds major EV and battery projects in Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. delayed, cancelled, or bankrupt as demand lags projections. VW's St. Thomas plant pushed to 2029; Northvolt collapsed; Honda paused. Is Canada's industrial strategy ahead of the market?
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4 min
Winnipeg Transit is asking council to exempt its on-request service from the city's diesel-only purchasing policy to buy up to seven small battery-electric buses, with federal transit funding potentially covering part of the cost.
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4 min
New Q2 2026 registration data from Statistics Canada shows hybrid EVs up 39.5 per cent and battery-electrics up 37.4 per cent year-over-year while gas and diesel registrations fell — as Brent crude crosses US$100 and a refined-fuel shortage keeps pump prices elevated.
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4 min
Some Canadian dealerships are still out tens of thousands of dollars from the original iZEV program, even as the revived $5,000 federal rebate launches. Transport Canada says all eligible claims were paid, but dealers tell a different story.
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4 min
Since August 7, GM will only sell 12 front frame rail components for EVs like the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Blazer EV and BrightDrop to bodyshops certified in its Collision Repair Network — a policy Canadian independents and recyclers say goes too far.
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5 min
British Columbia EV rebates and rules in 2026 — passenger purchase rebates paused/ended (commercial and fleet programs remain), charger rebates up to $350, and the landlord and condo rules BC drivers need to know.
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5 min
The Canada Gazette notice repealing the EV Availability Standard admits drivers pay $53.8B more in fuel and climate damages rise $94.2B — against $57.6B in EV purchase savings. Here's what the federal numbers actually say.
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4 min
Transport Canada's EVAP page confirms the federal EV rebate drops from $5,000 to $4,000 in 2027 and $2,000 by 2030, with $2.00B of $2.275B funding still available as of September 1, 2026. Here is the full year-by-year table.
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7 min
The complete guide to EV incentives in Canada — the federal EVAP rebate up to $5,000, which provinces still pay (PEI, Manitoba, Yukon, Quebec, NWT, NL), which have ended theirs (BC, NB, NS), and how the programs stack.
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6 min
EV vs gas pollution compared — tailpipe emissions, refinery pollution, power plant smokestacks, and why the comparison favours EVs even on dirty grids.
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4 min
China ordered Tesla to recall millions of cars over driver monitoring and door handles. Canadian drivers should understand how Transport Canada handles the same defects — and when a software update isn't enough.
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4 min
Nanos Research poll for Bloomberg shows Canadian attitudes toward Chinese-made EVs have shifted dramatically: 53% say country of origin has no effect on their purchase decision, up from 25% in 2024. Ottawa's 6.1% tariff and 49,000-vehicle quota open the door to sub-$35,000 models.
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5 min
Five major Quebec parties offer divergent approaches to ZEV mandates, EV rebates, home charging support, and commercial vehicle targets ahead of Monday's provincial election. EMC and AVEQ analyses reveal deep divides.
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4 min
Nova Scotia becomes the fourth province to tax electric vehicles, charging $500 per registration renewal for EVs and $250 for plug-in hybrids starting October 1, 2026. Traditional hybrids are exempt. Drivers call it a penalty for choosing cleaner transport; province says it replaces lost gas tax revenue.
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5 min
Chevrolet dominated August's EVAP rebate table: the Bolt claimed 1,911 incentives and the Equinox EV 1,212, dethroning Toyota and outselling the Model Y, Mach-E and bZ combined. Here is the breakdown and what the remaining $2 billion means for buyers.
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4 min
EV insurance in Canada runs 10-25% above comparable gas cars. Here's why — expensive batteries, repair cycles — and the eight discounts that close the gap.
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4 min
Transport Canada EVAP data shows the Model Y RWD claimed 691 federal rebates outside Quebec in August, topping Ontario and B.C. but landing 16th in Quebec with just 63 claims.
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6 min
EV vs gas carbon footprint in Canada — manufacturing emissions, battery production, electricity grid mix by province, and the break-even point where an EV becomes cleaner.
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6 min
Heat pump vs baseboard heating in Canada — operating costs, winter performance, installation, and which system wins for different Canadian climates and homes.
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5 min
Electric Mobility Canada and AVEQ analysis shows five major parties offer sharply different approaches: Liberals and CAQ keep sales mandates at 80% by 2035, PQ targets 85% by 2034, Québec solidaire wants a 2035 gas-car ban, Conservatives would scrap the standard entirely. Rebates, home charging and MURB rules also divide the field.
