Proposed Changes to Quebec’s ZEV Mandate
August 7, 2026
By Electro Federation Canada
Quebec’s CAQ government has proposed amendments that would significantly weaken the province’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
The most notable change is a reduction of the 2035 target from 100% to 80% ZEV sales. The government is also proposing a slower ramp-up of annual compliance requirements, with lower targets throughout the 2026–2035 period.
As previously announced by former environment ministers Benoit Charette and Bernard Drainville, conventional hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) would temporarily qualify for compliance credits for model years 2025 through 2027. As a result, this would be largely a retroactive change. The credit system for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) would also be revised, with longer-range models receiving more credits.
However, the proposed amendments would tighten the treatment of banked credits. Manufacturers would be permitted to use fewer previously accumulated credits to satisfy future obligations. For example, the maximum share of an obligation that could be met with banked credits would fall:
- From 15% to 10% for the 2028–2030 compliance period; and
- From 10% to 5% for the 2031–2033 compliance period.
The government is also proposing to repeal the regulation that would have prohibited the sale of new internal-combustion-engine vehicles beginning in 2035. This change follows logically from the proposed 80% ZEV target, which would continue to allow some new gasoline-powered vehicles to be sold after 2035.
Given the CAQ’s legislative majority, the amendments are likely to be adopted following the regulatory process. Their longer-term future, however, may depend on the outcome of the upcoming provincial election.
Current polling places the Parti Québécois (PQ) in the lead, while the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) is polling in second place. The PQ’s newly released environmental plan proposes a target of 85% ZEV sales by 2035 and signals a broader commitment to accelerating transportation electrification. The QLP has not yet released its election platform or made a specific commitment regarding the future of the ZEV mandate.
We will continue monitoring the regulatory process and the parties’ election commitments and will keep members informed of material developments.
View the full press release (en français)
View the draft regulations (en français)
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