Clean transportation

Zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standards and rebates

• As part of the Roadmap to 2030, by 2026 B.C. will require 26% of all new, light-duty vehicles sold to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) , rising to 90% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. Targets will be developed for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles
• B.C. already has the highest uptake of ZEVs in North America, accounting for 13% of all new light-duty vehicle sales as of November 2022
• The CleanBC Go Electric Light-Duty Passenger Vehicle Rebate Program provides point-of-purchase rebates on ZEVs to B.C. residents, businesses, non-profit organizations and local governments
• The Emotive Program raises public awareness of ZEVs in B.C. by partnering with communities and local organizations

Heavy-duty vehicles and fleet

• B.C. will establish ZEV-first purchase policies for public-sector fleets as part of the Roadmap to 2030, with ZEVs accounting for 100% light-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2027
• The CleanBC Go Electric Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive (SUVI) Program supports the adoption of many different types of ZEVs. This includes rebates for motorcycles, low-speed utility trucks, electric cargo bicycles, a variety of medium and heavy-duty trucks and more
• The CleanBC Go Electric Commercial Vehicle Pilots Program supports commercial ZEV adoption for B.C.-based businesses, non-profits and Indigenous and local governments
• The CleanBC Go Electric Fleet Charging Program supports B.C.-registered companies, Indigenous and local governments and public sector organizations transitioning their light-duty fleets to ZEVs.
• CleanBC Go Electric Advanced Research and Commercialization (ARC) Program provides funding to support companies operating in the ZEV sector in B.C., to invest in product development and commercialization activities, create jobs, increase exports and attract international investment
• StrongerBC (PDF, 1.2MB), the Province’s economic recovery plan, committed $30 million to the Commercial Vehicle Innovation Challenge
• The Clean BC Heavy-Duty Vehicle Efficiency Program provides fuel management and fleet efficiency training for businesses and incentives for the installation of qualifying fuel-saving equipment
• FortisBC offers incentives for switching to compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG), which reduces the emissions produced by mining and heavy-duty transport trucks, marine vessels or locomotives

Charging and refuelling infrastructure

• B.C. has one of the largest public charging and refueling networks in Canada, which is supported by the Province’s CleanBC Go Electric Public Charger program and the CleanBC Go Electric Hydrogen Fuelling Infrastructure program
• As part of the Roadmap to 2030, the province has set a target of 10,000 public EV charging stations by 2030
• The Province, in partnership with BC Hydro and FortisBC, is providing rebates for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers for homes and workplaces across B.C.
• The CleanBC Communities Fund provides provincial and federal funding for community projects that reduce reliance on fossil fuels, including public charging infrastructure for ZEVs
• B.C. will develop “right to charge” legislation, allowing more people to install EV chargers in condos and apartments, as part of the Roadmap to 2030

Cleaner fuels

• Under the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will strengthen the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, requiring fuel suppliers to make continuous reductions in their products’ carbon intensity
• The Province is working with producers to double the commitment to develop production capacity for made-in-B.C. renewable fuels to 1.3 billion litres per year by 2030

Active transportation

• B.C. aims to double the percentage of trips taken by active transportation by 2030
• The Roadmap to 2030 targets a 25% reduction in kilometres driven by personal vehicles compared to 2020, with 30% of trips taking place by walking, cycling or on public transit by 2030
• Move. Commute. Connect. (PDF, 1.5MB) is B.C.’s plan to improve walking, cycling and other active networks and ensure they are safe, accessible and convenient for people of all ages and abilities
• The B.C. government offers active transportation infrastructure and planning grants to Indigenous and local governments to support active transportation improvements
• Electric bicycles are exempt from provincial sales tax, improving affordability of active transportation options for people
• As part of the CleanBC Go Electric program, Scrap-It offers rebates for the purchase of a new electric bike or BC Transit pass for people who scrap their old vehicles
• Budget 2022 included $30 million towards active transportation infrastructure. StrongerBC (PDF, 1.2MB), the Province's economic recovery plan, also included more than $16 million in funding for active transportation projects

Transit and ferries

• B.C.’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 targets reducing the distances travelled in light-duty vehicles by 25% by 2030 and increasing the share of trips made by walking, cycling and transit to 30% by 2030, 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050
• BC Ferries, BC Transit and TransLink have started adding electric options to their fleets, with more battery-electric busses and hybrid-electric ferries coming into service in 2022
• CleanBC commits to fully electrifying B.C.’s inland ferry fleet by 2040
• BC Transit’s Low Carbon Fleet Program supports provincial targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and aligns with the CleanBC plan. The strategy will add Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and battery-electric buses to BC Transit’s fleet over the next ten years
  • BC Transit’s first ten battery electric buses will be delivered to the Victoria Regional Transit System in 2023
  • As of March 2022, BC Transit has over 280 CNG buses in its fleet, with each bus reducing emission by 8-15% compared to a diesel bus
• TransLink is committed to having a net zero public transportation system by 2050, including the implementation of TransLink’s Low Carbon Fleet Strategy. By 2040, TransLink’s entire conventional bus fleet will be zero emission
• The Province is funding $2.4 billion (40%) of TransLink’s 2022 Investment Plan that includes the delivery of the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project and advancing TransLink’s Low-Carbon Fleet Strategy to replace more than a third of the current diesel bus fleet with battery-electric buses and buses that will run on renewable natural gas, as well as the design and construction of critical charging infrastructure at bus depots
• B.C. is funding SkyTrain cars, buses and other improvements through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, in partnership with federal and local governments
• In September 2021, the Province made all BC Transit and TransLink transit services free of charge for children aged 12 and under

Transportation infrastructure

• The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is required to consider future impacts of climate change when designing infrastructure such as roads and bridges
• The StrongerBC (PDF, 1.2MB) economic recovery plan includes an additional $20 million to make roads and highway systems more resilient to the effects of climate change, such as flooding