Why Canada needs both EVs and hydrogen fuel cell cars to meet emission targets

As the federal government pours billions into a new electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in St. Thomas, Ont., industry analysts say we'll need both electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles — and to change our habits — to meet Canada's zero-emission commitments.

The Trudeau government has two sets of targets: One for light-duty vehicles (personal vehicles and sedans up to Ford F250-type trucks), and another for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (Ford F450-type trucks and tractor-trailers). 

By 2035, all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada will need to be zero emission. By 2040, the regulations will apply to all new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

EVs have dominated the discussion so far. Last month, the new multibillion-dollar EV battery plant planned for St. Thomas was hailed as a "game changer" for Canada's auto sector and the broader economy as countries fight to secure investment in clean technologies. 

But it's implausible to think Canada can meet its emission target goals with EVs alone, said Adithya Legala, a PhD student with the Fuel Cell and Green Energy Lab at the University of Waterloo. 

There are several reasons for that — capacity and consumer behaviours are two big ones, Legala said. The first issue means meeting these targets by relying solely on electric vehicles will add a lot of stress to the electrical grid.

"Our household power consumption is somewhere around 20 to 30 kilowatts in a day, and an electric vehicle's average battery size is between 60 to 90 kilowatt hours, so essentially tripling overnight the entire power demand," he told CBC News.

That is possible, Legala said, but he's not sure if it can be done on the current timeline and with the current rate at which drivers are purchasing electric vehicles.

Robert Stasko, executive director of industry association the Hydrogen Business Council, agrees. 

"The race to electrify everything is to the point where we will probably have grid capacity issues sometime during this decade," said Stasko, a former nuclear engineer.

Then there's the consumer side of the equation: North Americans like their vehicles bigger than other markets — and the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the battery.

"The GM Hummer that you see, the electric vehicle has a 3,000-pound battery. So it is actually towing another Corolla behind it. So yes, it is an electric vehicle, but is that what we need?"

Legala also pointed out that in April, General Motors announced it was discontinuing its Bolt electric vehicle. 

"They feel like, no, people are not buying smaller cars and we need bigger cars. So as the vehicles grow in size, the battery packs grow in size because now you need longer range. So especially if you're looking at medium duty to heavy duty: batteries are not the only solution or they have a very niche application."