The Montreal Electric Vehicle Show is running until Sunday at the Olympic Stadium, showcasing the latest advancements in the rapidly growing sector of cars.
“This one is particularly at a high level because we have a lot of novelty, of new car, of new launch,” said Louis Bernard, Montreal Electric Vehicle Show co-promoter.
The show’s fifth edition is its largest yet. According to Bernard, there are 100 vendors and double the number of attendees compared with last year.
Mario Gamache and his wife attended the first day of the car show looking to buy.
“With the augmentation of the gas, we are looking for an electric car,” he told Global News.
The price of gas isn’t the only reason Quebecers are looking to plug into electric cars.
The province is banning the sale of new gas vehicles by 2035. According to the government, the transport sector produces 44 per cent of Quebec’s greenhouse gases.
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“This is a big segment together as other segment as well. So transport electrification is core to our strategy,” said Quebec’s Minister of Economy and Innovation Pierre Fitzgibbon.
The electric vehicle fleet is expanding, from Ford F150s to even a Hummer. But there is a common theme in the room: if you want a vehicle, you need to be patient.
“The majority of our electric offerings are somewhat very popular, so therefore there is some waiting time,” said Toyota regional manager Patrick Ryan.
The waiting list for most electric vehicles lasts anywhere from six months to two years.
“Right now there are not that many electric vehicles being produced by manufacturers. So they send them in priority where the regulation is more stringent, namely Europe,” said Daniel Breton, Electric Mobility Canada president.
Canada’s Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Friday that the government would come up with a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate to force manufacturers to sell more electric cars to Canadians.
The federal government is also expanding the electric vehicle rebate to include more models.
“We know that personal car is one, but people also want a minivan and they want the SUV,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry.
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