Québec Minister of Sustainable Development Isabelle Melançon has issued the final regulations in support of Bill 104, a new law designed to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles in the province.

Québec is the first Canadian province to adopt a ZEV mandate. As of today, close to half the Canadian ZEV fleet is located in Québec.

The National Assembly unanimously adopted the Act last October, and it came into force this month. The automakers subject to it must accumulate credits by selling zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) or low-emission vehicles (LEVs) on the Québec market. The credit target is calculated by applying a percentage to the total number of light-duty vehicles that each automaker sells in Québec. The credit requirement thus varies from one automaker to the next. Each sale or lease of a ZEV earns credits, the number of which varies according to the vehicle’s electric range.

The government anticipates that by 2025, ZEV and LEVs will account for approximately 10% of the market. Manufacturers which do not achieve their targets will be required to purchase credits from other automakers that have excess credits available, or pay a fee to the government.

While the Québec standard largely follows current ZEV standards in 10 US states, one difference is that Québec regulations also permit vehicles that have been upgraded by carmakers and licensed for the first time in Québec to qualify for credits. This measure was included in the standard to encourage low-income households to choose zero-emission vehicles.

“The whole world is advancing in the field of the electrification of transport, and Québec, which benefits from clean, renewable and abundant energy, needs to remain in the vanguard of this movement,” said Minister Melançon. “Several automakers have shown the will to electrify all their vehicle models. The ZEV standard means that they will of necessity take the Québec market into consideration in their marketing plans.”

Source: Province of Quebec via Green Car Congress