Montreal Electric Vehicle Show begins as Quebec aims to get 2M electric cars on the road by 2030

The Montreal Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Show (MEV) starts today until Sunday at the Olympic Stadium for a sixth edition.

More than 50 electrified models, spread over 20 car brands and more than 60 test vehicles.

The Quebec government is set to introduce two draft regulations aimed at increasing the requirements for the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standard.

The goal is to have 2 million electric cars on Quebec roads by 2030. The current target is 1.6 million electric cars in six years.

On Friday, Environment Minister Benoit Charette said that the two draft regulations will be open to public consultation starting May 3. The government’s ultimate aim is for 100 per cent of new vehicle sales to be all-electric by 2035.

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

According to the latest inventory of Quebec’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, 42.8 per cent of the province’s GHGs come from the transportation sector. Out of this, 20.4 per cent is due to light road transportation.

Charette stated that strengthening the ZEV standard, which was implemented five years ago, will be crucial in reaching the GHG reduction target. This standard requires automobile manufacturers to ensure the supply and availability of electric vehicles on the Quebec market, both in variety and in number, through a system of credits.

The popularity of electric vehicles has been on the rise in Quebec over the past few years. Last year, 12 per cent of newly registered individual vehicles were electric, compared to only 0.7 per cent in 2015.

As of three months ago, there were almost 171,000 all-electric or plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicles on Quebec roads, representing a 32 per cent increase from the same period the previous year.

Charrette announced the two draft regulations on the first day of the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show.

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Martin Daigle, CityNews Image)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 21, 2023