Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith was up in arms following the federal government’s new mandate for zero-emission vehicles. In a Tuesday response, she critiques the policy as an overreach and a misjudgment of Alberta’s needs and capabilities.
Smith’s comments follow the Liberal government’s push, led by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035. True North previously reported that Ottawa was poised to announce that all new vehicles were to be emission-free by 2035.
Alberta’s government supports reducing emissions from the transportation sector, and it supports Albertans who wish to drive lower-emissions vehicles, said Smith. However, the province’s emission reduction plans will come on its own terms.
“The federal government has no legal or moral authority to tell Albertans what vehicles they can and cannot buy,” she clarified.
The province is working with municipalities and industry to explore the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles and evaluate the options to increase hydrogen fuelling stations across Alberta. Smith confirmed that the province is funding pilots testing long-range hydrogen trucks for industry and buses in major cities. Alberta is also working to improve access to Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.
“The federal government should rein back its failed command economy tactics and work with us on a consumer-based market approach that is achievable and doesn’t hurt people,” said Smith.
The Premier’s response criticized the federal government for imposing bizarrely impossible timelines and regulations that will lead to increased vehicle and utility costs, shortages of traditional vehicles, increased costs to businesses, and safety risks for hundreds of thousands of Albertans and Canadians trying to travel in Canada’s unpredictable and cold climate.
According to Smith, the recent federal mandate is hypocritical. The federal government’s EV approach has been a disaster, she said. The Premier’s response highlighted that the federal government is significantly behind on its target to make 80% of its fleet vehicles net zero by 2030, with projections indicating only a 1% conversion rate by the due date.
“The federal government will fail to hit its target even where it has complete discretion, and yet it plans to mandate similar targets on consumers throughout all of Canada,” wrote Smith.
Recent studies and industry responses reveal growing skepticism among Canadian consumers towards electric vehicles, citing reliability issues and economic concerns.
A J.D. Power Canada study found that 66% of Canadians are either “very unlikely” or “somewhat unlikely” to consider an electric vehicle for their next purchase — up from 13% last year, as previously reported by True North.
The number of Canadians considering an electric vehicle has decreased from 47% to 34%, largely due to electric vehicles encountering 79% more problems than gas vehicles.
Smith criticized not only the EV mandate but also the federal electricity regulations. She said Alberta’s electric grids are not equipped to handle the demand that a forced full-scale transition to EVs would need. Alberta’s Premier added that the federal government has not provided remotely enough financial assistance to assist provincial grids to meet this added electricity demand.
Moreover, Smith expressed concerns about the practicality of the mandate for Albertans, particularly those in smaller communities or with long commutes, who may not have the means or infrastructure to support an EV, leaving them at risk in harsh weather conditions.
“Apparently, the federal government doesn’t understand that freezing with their families in -30C on the side of a rural road is not an option for Albertans,” wrote Smith.
However, Smith said there is a way to encourage Canadians to drive more EVs, hydrogen-powered cars, and other low-emission vehicles. She asked the federal government to focus on helping provinces develop infrastructure and advanced technologies suitable for Canada’s long distances and cold weather instead of telling Canadians how to spend their money.
“Canadians deserve more than destructive virtue-signalling regulations and unachievable targets. Unfortunately, this federal government continues to show that it is all rhetoric and no substance. This approach does not serve Canadians and it won’t protect the environment,” said Smith.
“The Government of Alberta will do everything within its legal jurisdiction to thwart implementation of these unconstitutional regulations in our province,” she concluded.
