On Jan. 17, 2008, the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced he is delivering on the Government of Canada's commitment to implement fuel consumption regulations. He said that for the first time Canada will regulate the fuel consumption of new cars and light trucks, beginning with the 2011 model year. Consultations will begin with automotive, environmental and other stakeholders as part of the government's commitment to implement national fuel consumption regulations for motor vehicles. Excerpts from the Minister's press statement are below.
In 2006, the combined (car and light truck) new vehicle fleet average fuel consumption was approximately 8.6 L/100 km in Canada. This is equivalent to 27 miles per gallon. The regulations will prescribe a standard that will be designed to maximize the environmental and economic benefits for Canada. The federal government will monitor closely the work of the U.S. government, towards establishing an environmentally ambitious North American regulatory standard for cars and light-duty trucks.
"The United States Congress has set an ambitious target of 35 miles per gallon — or 6.7 litres/100 kilometres — for the average fuel economy of vehicles sold in 2020," explained Minister Cannon. "We welcome the U.S. goal, but are committed to developing made-in-Canada standards that achieve — at minimum — that same target in Canada. The consultations ahead will be key to delivering the standard. Put simply, this means that the government will regulate by the 2011 model year. By 2020, the average new vehicle sold in Canada will have a fuel consumption better than some of today's hybrid cars, and produce fewer GHG emissions, than approximately 93 per cent of all vehicle entries listed in the 2008 Fuel Consumption Guide.”
Consultations on the development of the fuel consumption regulations will include the automotive industry, environmental non-governmental organizations, provinces and territories, and other stakeholders. A short issue brief has been developed to inform these consultations. All interested parties are encouraged to review the brief and submit their views in writing to Transport Canada no later than March 15, 2008.
Following consultations, the Government of Canada will publish draft regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I. This will be followed by a 90-day comment and review period to provide a formal opportunity for Canadians to respond. The Government of Canada will then review the comments in order to develop final regulations. It is anticipated that these final regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, by the end of 2008. The regulations will come into force for the 2011 model year.
The issue brief "A Better Canada — A Cleaner Environment: Development of Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Regulations" is available at http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/en/environment/FuelConsumption/index.html.
On April 17, 2010, Environment Canada issued a proposal to adopt light duty vehicle fleet average GHG standards for the 2011 and later model years. Environment Canada intends to align the Canadian rules with those in the U.S. For a copy of the notice, click here.
