Open the door to cheaper electric vehicles from Europe, advocates urge

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TORONTO — The federal government has stopped the world’s cheapest electric vehicles — made in China — from coming into Canada with a 100 per cent tariff, so advocates are pushing to make it easier for automakers to bring in cheaper ones from Europe.

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“Right now, there is a blockage, saying that for safety reasons they cannot let these cars in,” said Daniel Breton, head of Electric Mobility Canada.

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He’s pushing to have the federal government rule that EVs deemed safe by European regulators don’t need to be re-certified and modified for Canadian standards. The potentially costly process can be a barrier to bringing more compact and affordable EVs to the Canadian market, though demand might be the bigger hurdle.

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“Right now Transport Canada is saying, well, we have to change the bumpers and we have to change the headlights and this and that for safety reasons, which, as far as I’m concerned is total B.S.,” said Breton.

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“If the car is good enough to be driving on European roads, where you can drive much faster than here, don’t come and tell me that they’re not safe enough to be driven in Canada.”

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Attempts to lower the barriers to cheaper vehicles comes as EV sales have been disrupted by the abrupt end of government rebate programs, while tariffs and U.S. moves to end EV supports and mandates are further destabilizing the market.

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Breton said that allowing a more open flow of vehicles from Europe would fit in well with a push to strengthen and diversify trade ties with the region, as Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he hopes to do, but Transport Canada says it’s not so simple.

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“The certification requirements of other jurisdictions may not be sufficient to meet the safety needs of Canadian road users due to Canada’s distinct driving environment,” said spokesman Hicham Ayoun in an email.

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He said Canadian test standards are better suited for the road infrastructure, speed limits and larger vehicle sizes found on Canadian roadways.

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“Some European crash testing requirements are not as stringent as the Canadian regime due to differences in their driving environment.”

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While Breton said the idea that European testing is deficient is ridiculous, there is also the question of how much demand there would be for the vehicles.

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As Transport Canada pointed out, Canadians like big cars and trucks. So much so that a few years ago the International Energy Agency found Canadian vehicles were the largest and second heaviest in the world, resulting in the worst fuel efficiency rating globally.

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Automakers know that and could be hesitant to bring in smaller cars, said Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.

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“European EVs are tailored for the European market, and those models don’t convert very well to the U.S. and Canada,” he said.

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“The small cars that Canadians appreciate are on the fringes — there aren’t too many of them.”