RUSTAD: Zero Emission Vehicles? BC collects significant gasoline taxes which pays for transit as well as road maintenance and upgrades. If nobody is buying gasoline, how will this bill be paid

The NDP passed a bill this spring requiring BC to sell nothing but Zero Emission Vehicles by 2040. Was this a good piece of legislation?

In my opinion, the goal of having people drive a zero-emission vehicle is a good one, but what the bill did NOT do was explain how this could be achieved.

First, where will the electricity come from? With expected population growth, BC will require the equivalent of 4 Site C dams in production, to meet the electrical demand from electric vehicles. Now some of those vehicles may be hydrogen but the result would be the same as the production of hydrogen still requires electricity.

How will this amount of electricity be created?

Some say from solar or wind. Those are fine but how will that power be firmed. Also, are you prepared to pay skyrocketing electricity prices? That is what this bill by the NDP will mean.

How is that making life more affordable?

Second, high speed charging stations requires significant transmission capabilities. Most (if not all) neighborhoods in existence today do not have the capacity to enable the number of charging stations required.

In other words, there will need to be a HUGE investment in upgrading BC’s transmission capabilities both in the general grid, as well as at the household level. Who will pay for this and what is the cost? I will speculate that the cost will be in the hundreds of billions of dollars which will need to be paid by tax payers.

Once again, how does this make life more affordable?

Third, BC collects significant gasoline taxes which pays for transit as well as road maintenance and upgrades. If nobody is buying gasoline, how will this bill be paid?

Forth, the range of electric vehicles is very limited. For example, an EV would not even have the capacity for me to drive from one side of my riding to the other, not to mention trying to get home in the same day. How will the vast distances of our great provinces be addressed for people who require to drive for work, health appointments, school, etc...?

The BC NDP’s zero emission vehicle bill certainly appears to be about politics as clearly, there are no plans to address even these basic issues. To realistically achieve a 2040 goal, BC would need to start making plans and investments TODAY to address these issues.

AND ... this doesn’t even include the environmental impacts that would need to be addressed due to disposing of batteries and other issues associated with electric vehicles.

NOR ... according to one individual commenting to John on this ... does it consider what happens when the batteries reach the end and must be replaced. I imagine that would run many thousands that a lot of families don't or won't have.

And as for the distance one would be able to travel on a single charge? Another commented to John that where he lived (in the city) he could get 400km on a charge, and that traveling from south to north borders of BC will require two full recharges, which with a DC fast charge will take an hour each.

Seeing as MLA Rustad lives in the Nechako riding, I’m not surprised when he responded by stating:

“400km range... hmmm? My riding is about 280kms, along Highway 16, one way. And how long does it take to recharge? Oh yah, don't turn on the heater or the air conditioning because you certainly won't get 400km range.”

I’m with you on this one John.

John Rustad worked in the forest industry in logging and forest management. He started and operated Western Geographic Information Systems Inc. from 1995 to 2002 where he was engaged in forestry consulting. 

John was first elected to the BC Legislature in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013 and 2017. He served in various capacities including parliamentary secretary for Silviculture, parliamentary secretary for Forests, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. 

He is currently the critic for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.