Alberta backs Ottawa’s move to scrap federal EV mandate

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed the federal government’s decision Wednesday to scrap Canada’s electric vehicle sales mandate, calling the policy unrealistic and harmful to consumers and the automotive sector.

In a statement, Smith said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government made the right call in abandoning targets that would have required 60 per cent of new vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.

“I’m pleased to see Prime Minister Mark Carney listen to automakers, industry leaders, Albertans and common sense by scrapping the federal EV mandate once and for all,” Smith said.

She argued the mandate failed to reflect current market conditions, infrastructure capacity and consumer demand, particularly in Alberta.

The province purchased more than 222,000 new vehicles last year, according to government figures, but only 19,863 electric vehicles were registered in 2025. Smith said meeting the federal target would have required Alberta to increase EV sales dramatically within a short timeframe.

“If 60 per cent of last year’s sales had to be zero-emission, we would have been about 85 per cent short,” she said.

Smith said even if Alberta had purchased all electric vehicles produced in Canada, the province still would not have met the mandate, citing insufficient supply, limited charging infrastructure and weak demand.

She said the policy would have driven up vehicle costs, limited consumer choice and hurt Canada’s automotive industry, while having little impact on global emissions.

“The auto industry knew this. Local leaders knew this. And we’re pleased to see Ottawa recognize it, too,” she said.

Smith also linked the EV mandate to what her government has previously described as Ottawa’s “nine bad laws,” which she says have harmed Alberta’s economy. While welcoming the repeal of the EV mandate, she said the province will closely monitor the impact of any new federal emissions standards.

The premier said Alberta supports consumer choice and argued that if the federal government wants to encourage EV adoption, it should focus on incentives rather than mandatory sales targets.

“As Ottawa develops a new automotive strategy, we hope they will work closely with provinces and consumers to make choice and affordability paramount,” Smith said.