OTTAWA, September 26, 2023 — Electric Mobility Canada is bringing trucks, buses, off-road vehicles and infrastructure to Sparks Street tomorrow, Sept. 27, to highlight the fact the EV industry is growing quickly – which will create jobs, lower costs and improve the health of Canadians.

“Electrifying vehicles will unlock immense environmental, social, and economic opportunities for Canada,” said Daniel Breton, EMC’s president and CEO. “It’s vital that Canada implement a supportive ecosystem of policies and incentives to accelerate our progress.”

On September 28, EMC members will meet with elected officials to focus on medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles and what needs to be done for Canada to reach its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. Canada must electrify medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) vehicles in order to:

1) Substantially lower emissions: Buses and trucks make up only three per cent of on-road vehicles yet account for nearly 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. The GHGs from trucking are projected to surpass those from passenger vehicles by 2030.

2) Improve air quality and reduce healthcare costs: MHD vehicles contribute disproportionately to black carbon and nitrogen oxide emissions. From Monday to Saturday, diesel trucks on highways emit about 80 per cent of black carbon emissions while representing only one per cent of vehicles. These pollutants cause about 15,000 premature deaths per year in Canada and about $36 billion in direct welfare costs. Moreover, electric vehicles increasingly feature safety innovations that can reduce the frequency and severity of vehicle-related injuries and deaths. Electrifying MHD vehicles will save not only thousands of lives but also billions of dollars.

3) Create high-paying, sustainable jobs and grow the economy: With stronger policies, Canada’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) economy could grow from 2015 levels of about $1 billion GDP and 10,000 jobs to $152 billion and 1.1 million jobs in 2040. New jobs will be created in resource development and processing, vehicle manufacturing, charging infrastructure manufacturing, utilities, operations and service, technology development, cybersecurity and information technology. Shifting from imported fuel to Canadian-made electricity will improve energy security, and fleet owners will benefit from better return on investment thanks to the lower maintenance costs, longer lifecycles, and lower operational costs of EVs.

“To achieve these benefits, Canada must accelerate the adoption of zero-emission trucks and buses by implementing a supportive ecosystem of policies and incentives,” Breton said.

Among other things, Electric Mobility Canada is asking the government to:

• Strengthen the supply chain and keep Canada competitive by announcing new financial
  instruments in 2023 to support medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle research and
  development and manufacturing
• Strengthen the infrastructure supply chain and grid connection by providing dedicated
  funding for MHD charging infrastructure and required planning in 2023; and for each province,
  clarify and categorize the grid-related obstacles to MHD electrification, and provide funding for
  utility innovation to address them (e.g., faster connection processes, rate structures to reduce
  demand charges, grid capacity maps, fleet forecasts, etc.) in 2023.

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