EEV25 – THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
And We’re Back!!!
Back “Re-Charged” “Fully Charged” and inspired by a world made up of “Everything Electric”!
DAY ONE
All that despite last weekend’s “Everything Electric” opening with an announcement from the Feds suspending the ZEV mandate, promising an examination of clean fuel regulations, while simultaneously pumping $370 Million into a biofuel incentive and creating a $5 billion Fund to help tariff-impacted companies like those that build cars.
https://electricautonomy.ca/policy-regulations/2025-09-06/canada-ev-sales-mandate-2026-pause/
The press release alone was enough to cause a segment of the media to abandon the Conference Centre. I mean, seriously, who’d have any interest in learning about EVs after that?
The New Car Dealers Association and Canadian Automobile Manufacturers Association lauded the decision – as it also included a requirement that all government procurement use Canadian suppliers and content.
And — since no one is currently building EVs in Canada — your tax dollars can now only be spent on ICE vehicles.
Bummer, right? Well…
An hour later, “Everything Electric” launched with Host Jack Scarlett conducting a straw poll of the packed Giga Theatre prior to the keynote opening panel.
“Who here already owns an EV?” A show of hands.
“Who has solar panels?” Another show of hands.
“Who has a heat pump?” More hands.
“Who would like the option to buy a Chinese EV?” Every hand in the room went up.
Hmmmm… Do we sense a different sentiment among average Canadians?
The panel included Clean Energy Canada director Joanna Kyriazis, who saw things this way…
“Right now, Canada has an EV affordability problem: we’re missing out on the many lower-priced electric models being sold and enjoyed in countries around the world—saving not only the environment but also those drivers a lot of money on gas.
This review should therefore not be about whether the policy stays in place, but how it can be retooled to best meet the needs of Canadians and deliver the EVs Canadians want at price points they can afford.”
Ms. Kyriazis expands on her position here:
https://cleanenergycanada.org/
And she includes significant polling data to support that view.
- 45% of Canadians are currently inclined to buy an EV as their next car.
- In urban areas — 69% of people in Vancouver and 55% in the GTHA (Toronto/Hamilton) lean toward buying an EV.
- 63% of respondents in the GTHA and Vancouver correctly know EVs have cheaper cost of ownership. But 73% are unwilling to spend more than $40,000 to purchase one.
- 53% of Canadians prefer a lower tariff on Chinese EVs that balances industry protection and consumer affordability. 29% support removing the tariff altogether.
- 70% of Respondents supported allowing sales of any vehicle that has passed safety and environmental standards in Europe, as this could increase the availability of brands and models here, including more affordable EVs.
A busy day concluded with a glass of BC wine gathering of Exhibitors, where BC Hydro CEO Charlotte Mithra, reported that last year’s big announcement of the province’s highway system electrification had grown with more locations and upgraded charging. Charge stations that had been 150 Km apart last year had been augmented to now sit just 120 Km apart.
The big announcement this year – a pilot program to outfit BC’s growing fleet of electric school buses with Vehicle to Grid (V2G) tech, positioned to each power up to 75 homes during an emergency.
https://electricautonomy.ca/charging/v2g/2025-09-10/bc-hydro-v2g-electric-school-buses/
Then BC Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, Adrian Dix, currently wrestling with the future of the province’s own ZEV mandate, took the mic, acknowledged all “the noise” out there on the topic, suggesting more might come.
But he insisted we all follow our path to an electric future, noting that BC leads all other provinces in EV sales, has the cleanest electricity on the planet and made great progress to a zero emission future.
He concluded with a specific shout-out to the members of VicEVA, thanking us for our full-throated advocacy of EVs, solar and more.
It was a nice way to end the day.
And maybe our governments need to be aware that some legacy auto manufacturers see no ICE in our future:
https://www.motor1.com/news/771810/volvo-boss-all-cars-electric-2035/
DAY TWO
VicEVA’s mission at EEV25 was hosting “Ask an Expert”, a job our sister association VEVA had handled on Day One and we’d pass to the Mid-Island EV Association for Day Three.
Our plan was to counter any EV myths attendees believed while helping them understand what EV ownership is like and clarify anything they’d heard from other exhibitors or dealerships that might be more a rosy sales pitch than reality.
The day started with an announcement that EEV25 was expected to pass 40,000 in attendance. 10,000 more than 2024. And in a country that had purportedly lost all interest in EV ownership.
And not a single person we encountered believed any of the EV myths about range anxiety, onerous charge times or cars that won’t start in cold weather anymore.
A good number were early adopters, now ready to move on to new models that better met their transportation needs or lifestyle.
Our day was also filled with interviews with people like Bob Purcell, one of the GM Team who had produced the first modern electric car, the EV-1, in the late 1990’s, Scott Sharabura of On-The-Run, whose charge network continues to expand and increase in power and Jaxx Pichota of Green Tec, a full service battery recycler.
We covered the debut of the game-changing 2026 Nissan Leaf. How long before other manufacturers include multiple charge ports to accommodate whatever charge format they encounter?
We met the folks behind the Hey Ya! Urban tourist fleet, the UBC Solar Race Car, the evolution of Taiga personal water and snow vehicles and the electric Zamboni conversion kit available from CanEV in Parksville.
Our sponsors, Shift Energy Group, Edwards Electric and Clean Air Yard Care were on hand as well, selling their goods and services, meeting MURB developers, Strata councils and homeowners, or finding new products for their own operations.
We’ll be sharing videos from all of the above in this newsletter or on our YouTube channel in the coming weeks.
A final message on the show from VicEVA President Glenn Garry, who participated in the day’s final Giga-Theatre panel on Charging, a topic both he and Jack Scarlett agreed no longer needs to be discussed.
“Many thanks to our engagement team, Ted, Jim, David, Gwen, and of course Eric! And great appreciation to the awesome people at Everything Electric — Jo, Dan, Daisy, Duane, Jack, Ricky, Imogen et al for their great work ushering better, cleaner, cheaper to own transportation and home energy solutions through their global show network and many online venues.”
DAY THREE
Mid-Island EV Association took the baton over the finish line, and I’m sure had as much fun and learned as much as we did. Special thanks to all the Mid-Island and VEVA volunteers for their contributions and ongoing help. It’s great to have such supportive colleagues and friends.
And a big, big thanks to Larry Boldt for the pictures that pepper this report.
Jim Henshaw
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