BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded on a ship sit stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port at Suzhou Port, in China's eastern Jiangsu Province, on Sept. 11, 2023.-/Getty Images
On April 2, transportation reporter Eric Atkins, policy columnist Adam Radwanski and investment reporter David Berman answered reader questions about Canada’s EV industry, the pressures on the country’s automotive industry, and the growing presence of Chinese EV companies.
Readers asked about how Canada’s automotive industry is reacting to U.S. tariffs and if the country’s infrastructure can support a rise in EV use. Here are some highlights from the Q&A.
Canada’s EV industry
How are Mark Carney’s policies on the EV industry different from Justin Trudeau’s?
Adam Radwanski: Probably the biggest difference, in terms of EV policy, is that Mr. Carney has ditched Mr. Trudeau’s policy requiring a growing share of all new vehicles sales to be electric (until it reaches 100 per cent in 2035), which was generally known as a ZEV mandate. He’s replacing it with a return to tailpipe pollution standards - an uncertain process that I wrote about recently.
In terms of EV manufacturing, the government is maintaining the subsidies that were committed to companies to set up battery plants in Ontario (LG, Volkswagen, Honda), but I think is somewhat less focused on trying to attract new ones than under Mr. Trudeau.
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Eric Atkins: The biggest change from a sales angle is he dropped the 100 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs in exchange for a break on canola tariffs and is allowing in 49,000 Chinese vehicles a year. He has said some will be more affordable and could lead to Chinese investments here, tapping into the battery and other supply chains.
Petro Canada's electric vehicle charging station is shown on display at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto on Thursday, February 14, 2019.The Canadian Press
What is being done to build a reliable EV fast-charging network?
David Berman: The fast-charging network in Canada really varies by province. Quebec is amazing. I’ve heard that B.C. is also great. Ontario is so-so. A lot of work needs to be done, particularly with building a network where there are more ports at each stop. That way, if a couple of ports are down (this always happens), drivers still have plenty of options.
But networks may be better than you think. EV charging stations are often only visible on charging apps – so you might not be aware, driving an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, what options are available. Try a Google map search or download the ChargeHub app and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Can Canadian manufacturers retool or build factories to produce practical EVs competitively without access to the U.S. market?
Atkins: Short answer is likely not. Slightly longer answer: Canada has excellent factories and parts makers and a skilled workforce but access to the U.S. market is vital and the main reason we have any sort of auto industry. Trump’s tariffs have devastated the industry and the possible loss of USMCA would further limit our access to the U.S. market.
When we can see the significant percentage of EV vs. gas engine cars on roads in Canada? What will be the positive or negative effect on gasoline retail industry?
Radwanski: The aim from the federal government, per the automotive strategy announce in February, is that EVs will make up 75 per cent of all new vehicle sales by 2035. But that may effectively be revised downward. Market demand, absent strong government intervention, is obviously harder to predict. But I think many around the industry are still expecting a sharp upward spike at some point - just not as early as initially thought.
Adam Radwanski says over the lifespan of the car, an EV will emit way less than a gas-fuelled vehicle.Fred Lum/the Globe and Mail
Are EVs part of a sound strategy to reduce carbon emissions? If so, why does it seem like the auto industry is so slow to adopt the technology?
Radwanski: It’s absolutely a good way to reduce emissions. Over the years there’s been some attempt to suggest otherwise because of environmental impacts in the EV supply chain as well as drawing off electricity generated by fossil fuels. But even then, over the lifespan of the car, an EV will emit way less than a gas-fuelled car. As for the industry trajectory, I think it’s important to differentiate Western (especially North American) automakers from Chinese ones, which have obviously been way more aggressive.
The way I’d characterize it is that North Americans were slow to recognize and embrace the shift, then clumsily tried to rapidly accelerate, and have now hit the brakes again somewhat. Part of that recent slowdown has to do with demand in North America not rising as quickly as expected or as quickly as elsewhere. I think part of it has to do with their own failings, as evidenced by how far ahead the Chinese companies are. I feel obliged to add, though: I don’t think the industry itself cares all that much about emissions. It does when governments force it to care, but the U.S. has entirely stopped doing so under Trump.
Making the switch to electric vehicles
How is the resale value of electric cars expected to compare to ICE cars, given the batteries degrade over time and the technology is constantly changing?
Berman: I don’t have any direct experience with resale values of EVs, although I have seen studies showing that batteries tend to hold up very well. In most cases, they’ll outlast the vehicles themselves. Here’s one from January, suggesting that the average annual degradation is 2.3 per cent (I’ve seen lower rates than that).
I understand the point about technology changing. When better batteries arrive, giving us better range perhaps or cheaper options, today’s fleet of EVs might look a little stale. Then again, the technology in ICE vehicles (particularly safety features and fuel efficiency) is constantly changing. For what it’s worth, I bought my EV four years ago with the understanding that I’ll likely drive it until the end of its life – or hand it off to my daughter.
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I don’t think EVs are suitable for rural use. That is a big obstacle to their widespread adoption.
Berman: EVs make perfect sense for city driving, where congestion is a real issue and distances travelled tend to be short so range isn’t an issue. I wouldn’t rule them out for rural use, though. With better parking options, or even garages, charging can be a lot more convenient. And rural use doesn’t necessarily mean that travelling distances are significantly longer. Unless you’re commuting 200 to 300 kilometres a day, you can still charge at home.
Now, EVs may be less convenient when towing things – like boats or Ski-Doos – simply because adding a trailer reduces range and makes using public charging stations a real challenge. Overall, though, I can’t see why living in the country is a deal-breaker.
An aerial view shows vehicles awaiting to be exported at the Nanjing Port Longtan area operated by Jiangsu Port Group in Nanjing, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on December 8, 2025.STR/AFP/Getty Images
The introduction of Chinese EVs
Why is it expected to take many months to years for Chinese EVs to be available in our markets in significant numbers? What can governments do to speed up the timeline as an immediate relief to the current fuel price spikes?
Atkins: They are starting from scratch - establishing dealers, workforces, service networks, etc. All that takes time. Especially if they want to run stand-alone stores as opposed to adding existing franchises.
Radwanski: For what it’s worth, I’ve actually heard some surprise from folks who follow the industry closely about how quickly Chinese automakers are moving to get permitted here, establish dealership networks, etc. If it happens in less than a year or so, that’s very quick by normal standards.
Do we anticipate an undercutting of pricing of all vehicles or a market pricing approach? Will auto insurance companies underwrite policies for new Chinese electric vehicles?
Radwanski: Chinese companies are able to sell EVs at a lower price for a variety of reasons - technological advances, lower labour costs and government subsidies all among them.
But I know that other automakers are worried about the impact on the market here if a large number of lower-end Chinese EVs - those that might sell for $35,000 or under - are let in here. Their argument is that there’s just no way as of now to manufacture EVs in North America and compete at that price.
As a side note, it’ll be interesting how the Chinese companies themselves manage pricing if they set up manufacturing here in the coming years, and have to pay Canadian labour costs. One possibility is that they make relatively luxury vehicles here while still importing the cheaper ones.
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Does the Canadian auto industry and government policy have a plan to transition to our own, made-in-Canada EV auto industry?
Radwanski: Flavio Volpe, who as head of the the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association is probably the most prominent representative of the domestic auto sector, has been pushing for the federal government to seriously consider how a Canadian automaker (which would almost certainly make EVs) could get off the ground. So far I think he’s had limited uptake, partly because of doubt about our market being big enough to support it, though I’ve heard some other industry veterans at least say it’s worth exploring.
Absent that, I think the aim is to expand the number of foreign automakers with a manufacturing presence here. That includes current talks with Chinese companies around some manner of partnership, as well as testing the waters with companies like Hyundai which have strong Canadian sales but only import as of now.
Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.