Thank you, Chair and committee, for the great honour of participating today.
Electric Autonomy is an independent media company and the news source for EV information in Canada, with over 40,000 users each month. Just last week, we convened 2,000 business and government delegates from Canada, Europe and the U.S. at the EV & Charging Expo and kWh Summit conferences, Canada's biggest B2B EV event. The event hosts over 900 organizations, ranging from DHL and Purolator to Sobeys and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
I want to emphasize that we are not a trade association representing the interests of a specific group but an independent Canadian media business that helps companies and municipalities make confident decisions in adopting zero-emissions technologies.
Electric vehicles are an innovative, breakthrough, disruptive technology. Canada prides itself on being a global innovator and leader, but we are very behind the rest of the world. In Canada, we are at 11.2% in zero-emissions new car sales. That's according to StatCan's Q4 2025 numbers. This means that we're using old and inefficient technology that costs consumers and companies about 90% more in fuel and 50% more in maintenance.
This is not politics. This is about core affordability and productivity, which I know everyone in the room here today cares about for Canadians. The gas tax cut will save a typical driver $17 a month for five months. EVs save drivers $250 a month indefinitely.
Let's imagine a gig driver who drops their kids off at school and then uses their vehicle to deliver e-commerce packages or ride-hailing services. They're filling that tank every two or three days and probably burning $700 a month or more. That money could go to rent, groceries or child care. Car dealers still get to sell cars, but even better, the fuel is provided by local electricity workers and generators. What could be better for our economy and stability?
In our strategic work, we start from the ground up, talking to everyone from drivers to fleet operators to those who manage parking lots. At our event last week, I was talking to Element Fleet Management. They work with a corporate client that operates just nine electric company cars. They are dipping their toe into electrification. Last year, even before the geopolitics currently affecting gas prices, they saved $15,000 in fuel costs on just those nine electric company cars. Now think about a company that operates hundreds of vehicles and the efficiency gains.
I'm going to take this time to give you a quick list of what meaningfully benefits Canadian companies and consumers as we electrify.
First, the clean fuel regulations credits are an essential market-based tool. These compliance credits create a revenue stream that offsets the significant cost of charging stations for fleets, charging sites or even residential customers. In the last case, this means regular drivers like me not only can get a free charger, but can potentially get the electricity to fuel their cars completely free.
I know that the government is dropping fuel taxes, which is a cents-per-litre savings. How about making Canadians completely immune to current gas price spikes? I'd like to address this particularly to our Conservative representatives, who might not realize that these savings go right into the pockets of everyday Canadians.
Second, remember that while typical Canadians drive 45 kilometres a day, a delivery truck can easily travel 175 kilometres. If you're looking to see emissions reductions, that is where the money is and why our company focuses primarily on fleet electrification, not consumer vehicles.
This is what I would ask: Consider allowing clean technology investment tax credits to be used for on-road fleet charging. Currently, the credits can be used for off-road vehicles, such as electric mining equipment or golf carts. There's no reason that charging infrastructure for on-road fleets shouldn't qualify. We know that when fuel costs rise, goods and services become more expensive. Switching commercial vehicles to electricity, which is regulated, creates price stability.
Third—and here is a bit of an out-of-the-box idea—create special taxable benefit rates when company cars are electric. When my cousin in England receives a company car that is electric or participates in an employee lease program, he pays a much lower benefit in-kind rate than on a gas vehicle. In 2026, that is 4% instead of his marginal tax rate of, say, 45%.
Why should we allow affluent consumers to have this benefit? It's because the knock-on effect is that this creates a very robust used EV market. Company vehicles come off-lease after three or four years. This creates more affordable used EVs for everyone.
Last, please give people a plug at home if they live in a condo or rental apartment. The reality is that we are seeing more renters than homeowners and fewer folks who can afford single-family homes. This is the biggest nut to crack. ZEVIP is a highly capable vehicle for this. Support for condominiums and apartment buildings to be able to assess their energy needs and install charging infrastructure will give close to two million Canadian households the unbelievable convenience of fuelling their car the way they power up their phone.
Thank you, everyone.