Canada Announces Plan To Ban Combustion Vehicle Sales By 2035

On June 29, 2021, the Canadian government formally announced that it will require all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sold in the nation to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2035. Previously, Canada had set its goal for a total ban on new combustion light-duty car and passenger truck sales by 2040, so this timeline just moved up by five years.  

To help ease the transition, Canada is also working to roll out a more robust charging infrastructure across the country, as well as making incentives available for those purchasing new zero-emissions vehicles. While it might not be as good as some might hope, every little bit can make a difference. 

Where does this leave bikes? Transport Canada, the governmental agency responsible for this policy, has a handy list of the zero-emissions vehicles that currently qualify for the available incentives. As of July 5, 2021, all the vehicles on that rather short list are cars. At this time, no electric motorcycles or scooters are listed.  

As far as the 2035 new combustion vehicle sales ban across Canada, the exact language used is “all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales to be zero-emission by 2035.” RideApart has reached out to Transport Canada for clarification on its policies regarding motorcycles and scooters, and will update this report as and when we know more. 

“Today, we take another important step on the road to net zero by accelerating our zero-emission vehicle targets to 2035. Achieving this target will require all Canadians, and businesses big and small, to embrace the change and go electric. That is why we will continue to invest in measures that put Canadians in the driver’s seat to a net zero future,” Canadian minister of natural resources Seamus O’Regan Jr. said in a statement. 

Like other countries initiating combustion vehicle sales bans, the target as written is new vehicle sales, and does not so far mention any plans for older vehicles. Most such plans rely on older vehicles eventually phasing themselves out as they become impractical to repair and own over time. As and when we learn any further information regarding this aspect as well, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.