British Columbia’s electric vehicle (EV) future may be at a crossroads, as major auto industry players and fossil fuel interests ramp up efforts to weaken the province’s Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
In response, the BC government is asking for public input on the next phase of its climate strategy—and now is the time for EV advocates to speak up before it’s too late.
BC’s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, Adrian Dix, has launched a public consultation on the province’s CleanBC plan, inviting feedback through an online survey. The review comes as reports surface that automakers and petroleum lobbyists are pushing the province to scale back its ZEV requirements, which are key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
You can provide your feedback on the BC Government website here.
The pressure campaign comes amid broader North American tensions around the shift to electrification. Brian Kingston, President of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association (CVMA), recently told reporters ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney that “the EV mandate itself is not sustainable,” claiming that the industry’s current targets are unachievable. However, critics argue that the CVMA represents branch plants of U.S. automakers—not Canadian innovation—and has historically resisted meaningful EV investment.
Automakers like Ford and General Motors have lagged behind global competitors in EV development for years. Despite endorsing past ZEV mandates, many North American brands continue to delay or cancel their EV plans. Meanwhile, they’ve called for steep tariffs on affordable Chinese EVs to give themselves more time to catch up—an approach some view as a stall tactic rather than a long-term solution.
Ford CEO Jim Farley recently offered a stark assessment of the situation. Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, he called China’s lead in EVs “the most humbling experience” of his career. Farley highlighted the rapid pace of Chinese automakers like BYD, whose low-cost Seagull EV has made headlines for its sub-$10,000 USD price tag.
“Their cost and quality are far superior to what I see in the West,” Farley said. “We are in a global competition with China… and if we lose this, we do not have a future at Ford.”
EV advocates in BC warn that giving in to industry pressure now would set the province back just as global momentum is building. The ZEV mandate has helped establish BC as a leader in clean transportation, with one of the highest per-capita EV adoption rates in North America.
Residents are being encouraged to write to their local MLAs and complete the CleanBC survey to show continued support for strong climate action and clean vehicle standards.
The survey is open at: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/cleanbcreview/#feedback
With public support, BC has a chance to double down on its commitment to electric vehicles—not retreat from it.
