According to Politico, Mark Carney is under intense pressure.

Auto Manufacturers want to get rid of the electric vehicle mandate. They simply refuse to sell more small electric cars in Canada, claiming it’s impossible / unprofitable.

They also say Donald Trump is now President of the United States. Climate Change is no longer an american concern. The political climate in the United States has changed and Canada should follow the US, whether it likes or not.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/10/canada-ev-mandate-elon-musk-tesla-00446980

  • OutlierBlue@lemmy.caEnglish
    6·
    5 days ago

    But there are some things about EVs that cannot be overcome because science. Like the fact that gasoline holds far more energy for its weight than batteries ever can.

    That’s true for our current batteries. Where does science say we’ll never be able to make batteries with a higher energy density than fossil fuels?

    This is merely one of the limitations I mentioned manufacturers need to work on.

    We’d have to add a lot of power to our grid and EVERY power source requires some kind of environmental cost, the question is only how much.

    Right, which is why we need to build out renewable capacity as we go. By forcing EVs onto the market it would spur home owners to add solar panels to their roofs. The rise in demand would increase new production. Again, that’s why it’s a long term phase out rather than cutting over suddenly.

    Also it’s far more efficient to generate power in large facilities rather than in lots of little ones. It’s better to have a few larger power generation plants rather than every car having its own. It’s the economy of scale. One generator that produces enough power for 100 vehicles is more efficient than 100 generators powering one vehicle each. Transmission distance lowers that efficiency, so hopefully those sources can be clean and local to where they’re being used.

    • LoveCanada@lemmy.ca
      12·
      5 days ago

      Where does science say we’ll never be able to make batteries with a higher energy density than fossil fuels?

      Well nowhere except that the mandate is trying to force the changeover in five years time, and despite multiple announcements about ‘new’ ‘long range’ batteries, no ones been able to make the quantum leap needed. And its not a minor gap: Gasoline stores about 47.5 MJ/kg, while lithium-ion batteries typically store around 0.3 MJ/kg. This means gasoline provides roughly 100 times more energy per unit of weight. Thats a huge leap for batteries to overcome.

      Also, EVs are competing against gas cars but gas cars are also improving a great deal. It used to be getting 25 mpg in a sedan was impressive enough, but I just talked to an owner with a Maverick hybrid who said on her best run she got almost 70 mpg. Incredible for a small truck.

      Hybrids may be the answer. Full battery EVs dont do everything and gas cars have issues, but hybrids bridge the gap. The main problem there being that now you have to maintain two drive systems, so its not exactly a recipe for easy maintenance as they age.