The manufacturers have told the government—that's why this pause was initiated—that the demand is not there. When I talk to my local dealers, certainly the demand is not there in rural areas. That's because of the lack of infrastructure. In our last panel, we did have some good information on some of the requirements.
Again, I'd like to go back to the electricity. Ultimately, whatever that cost is—we've heard upwards of $250 billion to electrify this country enough to do that—the utility companies are not going to eat those costs. Those costs are going to be passed on. As much as we talk about how they are certainly cheaper at this point in time, that is not going to be the case.
Don't get me wrong; these vehicles are marvels of innovation. I think anybody who wants to buy one should have the option. Where the folks that I represent struggle is to be told by the government what they can and cannot buy. Yes, it's the manufacturers that are being told that they have to build them, but if people don't want to buy them, they are being forced into it.
I can look at, for instance, somebody who has bought a used beater. They're a low-income or modest-income person or are called working poor. They're working their tail off to try to support their family. They really struggle with this ivory tower government that tries to tell them what is best for them, and that it is going to save them so much money, when they can barely afford to put groceries on their table. What would you recommend I say to a low-income resident in my riding when they say to me that they don't want to buy an electric vehicle?