Canada’s electric vehicle sales mandate that was due to kick in next year is being delayed.

Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement Sept. 5 at a news conference in Mississauga, where he also announced a suite of measures to support sectors hardest hit by U.S. tariffs.

Among those measures is the delay in Canada’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standard.

The standard stipulated that 20 per cent of all light-duty vehicles sold in 2026 must be zero-emission.

The existing standard also raises the target each year until 2035, when all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada must be ZEVs. Carney did not say what would happen to the standard following 2026.

“To add flexibility to the automotive sector, we will remove the 2026 electric vehicle availability standard, which specifies the share of new vehicles that must be electric next year. This will provide immediate financial relief to automakers at a time of increased pressure on their competitiveness,” Carney said.

“The government will begin immediately a 60-day review of the EV standard to identify future flexibilities and ways to reduce costs.”

Furthermore, Carney said the country will advance new options to bring more affordable electric vehicles to Canada, without specifying how.

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