CHELSEA, QUE.—Perhaps slowing sales of electric vehicles in Canada, industry caution, and political wobbles are a temporary phenomenon, prompted by the affordability crisis . The rapidly evolving technology of EVs also gives some potential buyers pause; a lot of consumers are waiting. If we are lucky, this is just an interruption en route to a necessary revolution in the way we fuel our lives.
Meanwhile, as other provinces offer rebates to new EV owners, Alberta is introducing a $200 annual tax on EVs in 2025 on the specious grounds that they are heavier, and cause more road damage. Also, Smith explains, EV owners have an unfair advantage because they are spared the provincial fuel tax! Lower Mainland, B.C., second only to California in the availability of hydrogen-filling stations, is also a leading adapter of electric vehicles.