The Quebec government is mirroring the Liberals’ electric vehicle mandate by passing provincial legislation prohibiting the sale of certain gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
A press release issued by Quebec’s Ministry of Environment on Monday stated that road transport is one of the province’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The provincial government said it is committed to decarbonizing vehicles in Quebec and will ban certain gas vehicles from being sold in the province to achieve that goal.
There are two phases to the ban. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2034, 2035 and subsequent years models of gas-powered vehicles will not be allowed to be placed on the market for sale within Quebec. Then at the end of 2035, a retroactive ban on the sale of all prior models will go into effect.
“As of December 31, 2035, the sale and lease of all new light-duty combustion vehicles, i.e. vehicles whose engine runs on fuel (e.g. gasoline, diesel, or natural gas), will be prohibited in Quebec,” reads the press release in French.
A light-duty combustion vehicle comprises those weighing 4,536 kilograms or less.
As of Dec. 31, 2035, all light-duty combustion vehicles of the model year 2034 or earlier cannot be sold or leased. This includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
“The sale of combustion engines will be prohibited, except for the replacement of a defective engine in a vehicle already on the road in Quebec,” reads the release.
Similarly, marketing any light combustion vehicles of model year 2035 or later will be prohibited as of Jan. 1, 2034.
The Liberal government similarly announced that Ottawa will mandate all major passenger vehicles in Canada to be electric by 2035.
A previous poll highlighted that two-thirds of Canadians felt the federal ban on gas vehicles by 2035 was unrealistic.
Vehicles used for emergency services will be exempt. Rental companies can continue using their combustion-powered cars until the end of their useful lives if rentals do not exceed 120 days.
Light combustion vehicles already registered in Quebec can continue to be driven, sold, and resold until the end of their useful lives.
The provincial government said it will conduct market research in 2026 and 2030 to determine the infrastructure required to meet 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
“The vehicle market is already undergoing a major transformation, and will continue to evolve rapidly. Numerous technological innovations, such as more efficient batteries, improved range and extended recharging coverage, will be introduced in the coming years. These advances will provide consumers with vehicles that optimally meet their needs, facilitating the adoption of electric mobility,” reads the release.
A previous report highlighted that electric vehicles have 79% more problems than gas vehicles.
The changes made to the regulation prescribing certain prohibitions with respect to motor vehicles and combustion engines were submitted as a draft on July 10, 2024. They were approved by Quebec’s ministers on Dec. 11, 2024.
An official final text will be published on Christmas this year.
The changes come in addition to Quebec’s existing electric vehicle plans. The province projects that two million electric vehicles will be on the road by 2030.
To accommodate that projection, 35% of parking spaces in multi-dwelling buildings, or 600,000 spaces, will be adapted to include charging stations by 2030.
The province aims to have one public charging station for every 16 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The current ratio is one station for every 23 electric vehicles.
In 2023, zero-emission vehicles accounted for 18.6% of all new motor vehicle registrations in Quebec, according to Statistics Canada.
A previous study highlighted that the Liberals’ electric vehicle mandate was “not feasible” for the power grid.
Quebec currently has just over half a billion dollars earmarked for electric vehicle charging stations between 2023 and 2028. An additional budget of $285 million over five years will be provided.
Private companies, like Ford, previously announced shifting away from electric vehicle production amid declining interest. The RCMP similarly announced that they would be unable to meet the goals of an all-electric fleet by 2030.