Environment Committee on April 16th, 2026

[Anna van der Kamp]

Yes, the investment of the $1.5 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank is already in play. They are already committing their funds. They've already committed $630 million to charging across the country. If I understand the question, that is an active file for sure right now. There is a focus at the Canada Infrastructure Bank's program on fast public charging and revenue generating, so they're really trying to bring in private investment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shannon Miedema]

Thank you very much.

As we have witnesses for a full two hours, I'm going to suspend for a few minutes for a quick health break, and then we will resume.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shannon Miedema]

We are going to get started again.

We are going to start on round two with Mr. Leslie for six minutes, please.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The government says, “a larger percentage of EVs will be required by all companies to meet the standard over time.” That's from the backgrounder as part of the news release of the new plan. To me, that sounds like the same old Liberal EV mandate plan with a new coat of paint.

What is that percentage?

[Mark Cauchi]

The government has been clear on the targets that it wants to achieve, the target of 75% of EV sales by 2035 and, I think, an aspirational target of 90% by 2040. Of course, that's consistent with a long-term trajectory getting to net zero—

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Is the 75% based on today's market? Is that a best-case scenario? Is that just a random number picked?

[Mark Cauchi]

That comes from a decision made based on a variety of variables informing decision-making.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

You've done modelling to suggest that, based on the current trajectory and the subsidies as planned for the next.... I'm unclear if it's a four- or five-year plan that's been outlined here. Is that what we can expect to get to?

[Mark Cauchi]

There are a variety of things in play here. You mentioned the subsidies. The rebate is definitely factored in. We're definitely seeing in that the technical feasibility piece, supply and demand issues—

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

You're confident that this is what's going to happen. We're going to get 75% adoption. Is that going to happen?

[Mark Cauchi]

That is the target the government has announced.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I mentioned modelling, and you alluded to it previously regarding GHG emissions reductions modelling. I'm hoping you can table with the committee the modelling that was done under the previous electrical availability standards, the mandate and the modelling that has been done under the new plan, side by side, so we can see the difference on a year-by-year basis as to how many emissions will be reduced for both plans.

Can you do that?

[Mark Cauchi]

The government is going to be publishing in the Canada Gazette that modelling with the proposed regulation. That modelling will be dependent on the parameters that are set in the regulations.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Will that include the modelling that was done for the previous...? Will it be side by side?

[Mark Cauchi]

It will be a comparison of previous modelling and new modelling.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

When is that going to happen? Is that typical for the gazetting process?

[Mark Cauchi]

Yes, that is part of the RIAS, the regulatory impact analysis statement, that is a requirement of any federal regulation that goes before the Governor in Council. It is going to include and has included the cost benefit associated with any regulation. That will be the case in this case. We do intend to publish later this year in the Gazette.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

There's been a lot of talk about air pollution and deaths in some Health Canada reports. Will you be tabling modelling on the number of deaths that could be prevented under the previous electric vehicle availability standard and the new model?

[Mark Cauchi]

That's maybe a question more for Health Canada, but we'll definitely communicate that to Health Canada.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Could you contact them and have them provide whatever is possible?

You mentioned the RIAS. How much does the department expect the new tailpipe regulations under this new plan to raise the price of new vehicles in Canada?

[Mark Cauchi]

One of the criticisms that we saw of the previous approach was the impact on vehicle prices, and certainly that was a major issue raised during the EVAS review. We did, as you know, a national review. We will see, and Canadians are experiencing this now, vehicle prices increasing because of tariffs, etc. It's not just EVs.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I understand. What do you expect prices to go up by based on this policy alone?

[Mark Cauchi]

That will be published in the Canada Gazette as well.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Do you know that right now?

[Mark Cauchi]

We are dependent on parameters. I'm not in a position to give you, for example, interim stringency values, numeric values, so that would determine what the—