Carney to pause EV mandate, trigger a review: sources

Prime Minister Mark Carney is delaying a plan to force automakers to hit minimum sales levels for electric vehicles next year, according to sources knowledgeable of the plans.

The move comes as the industry has struggled under U.S. tariffs

Sources, who spoke on the condition they not be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the EV mandate will be put on pause as the government reviews the policy.

The 60-day review will look at the entire mandate and next steps, the sources said.

It represents another shift away from Carney's predecessor's climate agenda. 

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau brought in the electric vehicle availability standard, otherwise known as the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. It establishes a series of escalating light-duty vehicle sales targets for auto manufacturers and importers, starting at 20 per cent in 2026 and reaching 100 per cent in 2035. 

Automakers have been lobbying the Liberal government to scrap the mandate arguing it will cripple their companies and put thousands of jobs at risk. 

The pause comes as Carney plans to unveil a series of support measures Friday morning for sectors struggling thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.

The mandate has also come under political pressure, notably from the Conservatives who, in a fundraising email, accused the "radical Liberals" of planning to make gas-powered vehicles "illegal" and "force" people to buy "expensive" EVs.

The EV mandate review was previously reported by CTV News and Bloomberg.