By Bychris Hatch Max Fawcett
More importantly, they鈥檙e also doing this because Canada鈥檚 Conservative movement remains incapable of tacking against the political winds of Trumpism. As Trump has turned ever-more aggressively against electric vehicles, and particularly the ones sold by his former best friend Elon Musk, so too have leading Canadian Conservatives like party leader Pierre Poilievre and Melissa Lantsman. It seems almost inevitable now that electric vehicles will become part of the ongoing culture war there, and that any rational attempt to help the automotive industry adapt to the changing global landscape will be subsumed into Trump鈥檚 fight with Musk.
It鈥檚 reasonable, and maybe even rational, to re-assess some of the near-term targets in Canada鈥檚 EV regulation, given the threats posed by Trump to the very existence of Canada鈥檚 auto sector. But the longer-term objectives here should remain in place, and the Carney government should be willing to fight hard for them. The transition away from fossil fuels and gasoline-powered vehicles is a question of when, not if. As the New York Times reported recently, 鈥渁uto executives are nearly unanimous that, even in the United States, electric and hybrid vehicles will eventually displace gasoline-powered vehicles.鈥 Just ask Musk, who shared a post about Norway鈥檚 June car sales figures 鈥 97 per cent of which involved EVs 鈥 and added his own commentary. 鈥淐ombustion engine cars will be like the steam engine 鈥 quaint, but primitive.鈥
On this, at least, he鈥檚 correct. Not even Donald Trump can stop the global transition to electrification, and Canada needs to remain focused on the longer-term trajectory here, both for its domestic auto sector and the consumers who buy their products. The Conservative attack here is the very definition of a rearguard battle, one that confirms its enduring loyalty to the oil and gas industry and its economic interests. It鈥檚 also another reminder that the leadership team that blundered away a 20-point lead heading into the last election might not be fit to win the next one.