Support for electric vehicle mandates softening in B.C., poll suggests

A new poll suggests a majority of B.C. residents oppose government EV mandates, and that the sentiment is growing.

British Columbians are increasingly souring on federal and provincial electric vehicle (EV) mandates, a new poll suggests.

The Ipsos poll, commissioned by the Energy Futures Institute, found that 56 per cent of respondents opposed EV mandates, up three points from last year, while just 34 per cent supported them.

“In British Columbia, we’ve gone on embarking on the most aggressive electric vehicle mandates in all of North America before we have the infrastructure to support it,” said Energy Futures Institute chair Barry Penner.

“And British Columbians are starting to wake up to that reality that, hey, you’re saying I have to buy an electric vehicle, even if I can’t afford it?”

British Columbia’s EV mandate requires at least 26 per cent of 2026 model year sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), rising to 90 per cent for 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.

The Canadian Energy Regulator’s latest market snapshot shows ZEVs accounting for just 16.5 per cent of new registrations in 2024, down from nearly 23 per cent the year prior.

Support for the mandates was highest in Metro Vancouver (40 per cent) and among those aged 18-34 (47 per cent) and 35-54 (40 per cent).

Opposition was highest in the B.C. Interior and North (68 per cent) and among those aged over 55 (66 per cent).