EV policy check-in: quota uptake, rebate funding and a mandate repeal
- policy
- quota
- incentives
A month on from our last policy post, here is what moved and what did not.
The China-EV quota
The government's quota report, updated October 23, 2026, shows 15,931 of the 49,000 units in the first quota year used, about 32% (that is the year-to-date total across both periods, not the first period alone). The second period (September to February) logged 328 units in September and none in the October 23 update. That is about 1% of the period's 24,500-unit base. The import-controls page lists no new notices or rule changes since the second-period notice.
The federal rebate fund
The Electric Vehicle Affordability Program says $1.92 billion of its $2.275 billion remains as of October 1, 2026. It runs to March 31, 2031, or earlier if the money is used up. Our earlier posts recorded $2.05 billion remaining on August 1 and $2.00 billion on September 1. By simple subtraction, about $80 million left the fund in September, against about $50 million in August. Two months is still a short run, so treat it as a direction, not a forecast.
The EV mandate repeal
The proposed repeal of the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, the sales-share targets that started at 20% for model year 2026, is still a proposal. Notice in Canada Gazette, Part I (August 15, 2026) allows 75 days for comments, which ends October 29, 2026. We have not found a final order, so nothing has changed in law yet.
Provinces
- Quebec: Roulez vert is active and ends December 31, 2026. For a new battery-electric vehicle the amount is $2,000 in 2026 and $0 in 2027.
- Nova Scotia: the province's 2026 financial measures release proposes a levy of $500 every two years on electric vehicles and $250 on hybrids from October 1, 2026; we have not confirmed that the bill has passed.
What we could not confirm
We could not confirm Prince Edward Island's current figures. We also have not confirmed Quebec's 2027 annual EV contribution amounts or the current status of the Northwest Territories rebate.