The New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia (NCDA) has written to Premier David Eby and Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix, urging the provincial government to move beyond recent interprovincial political sparring and toward a more grounded, solutions-focused discussion on electric vehicle policy, one that reflects the growing gap between ZEV policy ambition and market reality.
The correspondence follows recent public debate between Premier Eby and Ontario Premier Doug Ford – during which Ford has advocated for the removal of provincial ZEV mandates and Eby has suggested that targets help ensure consumers have access to a wider range of more affordable vehicles.
NCDA President and CEO Blair Qualey offers a practical, on-the-ground perspective from the retail automotive sector, those directly responsible for delivering these policies at the consumer level, emphasizing that while dealers support electrification, current targets risk outpacing what consumers are able and willing to adopt.
“Quite simply, we are facing a demand challenge, not a supply issue,” Qualey said. “Recent data shows electric vehicle adoption softening, while consumer interest is shifting toward hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles that offer both emissions reductions and practical flexibility.”
The NCDA is raising concerns that maintaining rigid, legislated ZEV sales mandates in British Columbia, particularly in the absence of provincial purchase incentives, risks increasing costs for consumers and limiting vehicle choice at dealerships.
“With the average cost of a new vehicle now approaching $66,000, affordability is already a major barrier,” Qualey added. “Policies that move ahead of consumer readiness risk making that situation worse.”
The letter also highlights the need for greater alignment with the federal government’s evolving approach, which involves a performance-based emissions framework that allows the market to respond to changing conditions, technology readiness, and consumer demand. British Columbia, by contrast, appears poised to reinforce fixed sales targets in legislation despite clear signals that current trajectories do not support those outcomes.
“A fragmented, province-by-province system creates unnecessary complexity and risks undermining a cohesive national strategy,” said Qualey. “What Canada needs is alignment, not a patchwork of policies that can act as internal trade barriers.”
“Dealers across British Columbia are committed to electrification. We sell electric vehicles every day,” Qualey said. “But what we are seeing in real time is that adoption is being driven by affordability, infrastructure, and consumer confidence, not policy ambition alone.”
Qualey underscored the growing gap between policy ambition and market reality. ZEV registrations in British Columbia declined last year to 18.3 per cent, down from 22.8 per cent in 2024. At the same time, consumer preference is shifting toward hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which offer lower emissions alongside flexibility and affordability.
Against that backdrop, the province’s decision to maintain and entrench legislated ZEV sales mandates raises serious concerns.
The NCDA is encouraging the provincial government to recalibrate its approach and work collaboratively with industry to ensure policies support both climate objectives and consumer realities.
“Our goal is not to slow electrification. It is to ensure it succeeds,” Qualey said. “That means bringing consumers along with us.”
