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Canada Introduces Two New Programs to Support Consumers in Selecting Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

The Canadian government has introduced two new programs, with a combined total of C$35 million in funding, to help Canadians choose more eco-friendly vehicles.

The C$21-million ecoENERGY for Personal Vehicles program will provide fuel consumption information and decision-making tools such as vehicle labels, guides and interactive websites, to encourage consumers to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles that are currently available in the market.

The program will provide the resources to support the work with the vehicle industry through the voluntary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and result in improved fuel efficiency in new vehicles and reduced emissions. The target for the MOU is to realize a 5.3-megatonne reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year from light-duty vehicle use by 2010.

Improvements to fuel efficiency achieved through this agreement will provide a foundation for the regulations that will come into force for the 2011 model year.

Training in fuel-efficient driving will continue to be offered to new drivers, and Canadians will be encouraged to change their driving habits through ongoing and new activities with partners across Canada.

Estimated emissions reductions from all activities in the ecoENERGY for Personal Vehicles Initiative will be 5.4 megatonnes of GHGs, equivalent in energy savings to taking approximately 950,000 cars off the road.

The C$15 million ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program will involve purchasing and testing a range of advanced technologies—including hydrogen, advanced electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles—and showcasing them at public events across Canada.

More specifically, the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program will:

  • Evaluate the fuel-efficiency, emissions and safety performance of advanced technology vehicles;

  • Identify opportunities and market potential for the introduction and use of advanced technology vehicles;

  • Identify barriers to the introduction and use of advanced technology vehicles and recommending solutions; and

  • Raise public awareness of advanced technology vehicles.

Preliminary government estimates suggest that the program will result in a reduction in the order of 500 kilotonnes (kt) of greenhouse gas reductions in 2010, as well as reductions of air toxics such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.

Road vehicles are a major contributor to domestic air pollution and the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. The goal of the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program is to test the effectiveness and safety of advanced environmental technologies for vehicles, share our results with Canadians and help them make informed decisions about the cars they buy.

—Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Through these programs, Canada’s New Government will work with the auto industry to make new vehicles more fuel-efficient. Together, these programs will play an important role in helping the auto industry to achieve the 5.3 megatonne reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions from light duty vehicles in Canada. The industry has agreed to pursue this target between now and 2010, following which new fuel consumption regulations will come into effect for the 2011 model year.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared in a speech last week that Canada will regulate the fuel efficiency of motor vehicles for the first time, beginning with the 2011 model year. (Earlier post.)

Natural Resources Canada also released the 2007 Fuel Consumption Guide and the 2007 EnerGuide winners for the most fuel-efficient new vehicles sold in Canada.

Consumers can use the 2007 Fuel Consumption Guide to compare the fuel consumption ratings and carbon dioxide emissions of passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in Canada. The guide is available from participating new-vehicle dealerships, most motor vehicle licence agency offices, participating Credit Union offices across Canada, participating Caisses populaires et d’économie Desjardins in Quebec, and participating Canadian Automobile Association offices across Canada, or online at www.vehicles.gc.ca.

(A hat-tip to Bob!)

Comments

fyi CO2

Egg on face: General Motors of Canada is that country's #1 assembler of cars, trucks, engines, and components. The company exports the bulk of its vehicles to the US.
Appears the majority of Canucks already know something about selecting fuel efficient vehicles. GM, bring on the VOLT!

K

Looks like an employment program for bureaucrats.

Canadians are capable of making economic choices w/o such nonsense. They drive what and how it makes sense for them. When the price goes up they will change the what and how.

Does anyone believe they bought their present vehicles because they couldn't find mileage estimates? Or that they don't grasp how driving style affects mileage?

But maybe I overestimate Canadians. Their government doesn't.

Stan Peterson

Your taxes at work. Accomplishing nothing.

Thsi si an example of how the watermelon greens find employmemnt fro themselves and how they would waste any taxes from a "carbon tax".

it would be better spent jsut giving it to the auto companies as subsidies for their electric vehicla engineering. Certainly the auto companies would alter the own spending but it's better than just taking the money and burning it,like this. That adds CO2 to the atmosphere...

wintermane

rolly would get mokore effect if they spent the money buying the damn cars and giving em away as prizes;/

Stan Peterson

Your taxes at work. Accomplishing nothing.

This is an example of how the watermelon greens find employmemnt for themselves, and how they would waste any taxes from a "carbon tax".

It would be better spent just giving it to the auto companies as subsidies for their electric vehicle engineering. Certainly the auto companies would alter the own spending, but it's better than just taking the money and burning it, like this.

That just adds CO2 to the atmosphere...

Erick

"Canada’s New Government"

That's a dead giveaway that this is nothing more than a PR move, trying to give them credibility amongst the ethical voting block. Luckily most people see right through this BS and are demanding real action.

L. P. Prete

I find it hard to believe the words of Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastrucre, etc. that "road vehicles.... are the largest single source of greenhouse emmissions in Canada." Has anyone ever attempted to compute the volume of greenhouse gases that pour into our atmosphere each year from the forest fires that burn throughout the summer months and the gases from all the chimneys burning wood, oil, and coal throughout the winter months??

Neil

Forest fires and wood burning stoves are considered carbon neutral.

Andrey

Erick:

The problem is that it is not possible to reduce CO2 emissions somehow significantly, at least at present state of civilization. The only one thing which could reduce it in 30-50 years is massive nuclear power stations program, but it will have only marginal effect in Canada anyway. Since the greenwash.

Neil:

The problem is deeper. Nature does not distinguish between antropogenic and natural CO2. Combustion of fossil fuels accounts for about 3% of natural carbon flux in and out of atmosphere. Google “geo engineering” and you will find out that there are numerous ways to remove amount of CO2 from atmosphere comparable to antropogenic emissions by different methods, like ocean fertilization, for example. By painting all roofs white and making pavement surfaces “whiter” by addition of pigments, we can 100% nullify anticipated antropogenic Global Warming effect. But what will all GW buorocrats do? Go to work?

Ash

As a Canadian, I wholeheartedly agree with you all. Somehow I believe the money would have been better spent bringing a Yaris D4-D 52.3/70.6mpg or something to the market.

Neil

I like the idea of the ecoENERGY program ... for 21 million I could deliver all of the listed services and still have 20 million to retire on. (Sounds like the gun registry all over again)
Andrey: Unless you have a lot of careless campers, forest fire CO2 will be offset by new growth in the affected area. It's part of the existing balance. Fires in Brazil tend to be anthropogenic since we create most of them.

Andrey

Neil:

I was talking in general, not particularly about forest fires. You are right, forest fires are part of the cycle, and as long as dry forest fuel is accumulated fire is inevitable, being ignited by campers or lighting. And not much we can do about it.

Jon

We have a LONG ways to go here in Canada.

Harper does not have a green bone his body - this can be said for the conservatives in general. If were not for the fact that they are in a tight spot and are looking to gain votes, they wouldn't be pushing environment at all. Even the new funding for renewable technology is wrapped up in the oil sector! (yes.. 'sustainable oil sands production' is what they call it).

I really don't know about some of this program. Sure it can't hurt, but there are much better ways of getting greener vehicles on the road. For one thing, the gov't shouldn't be pouring subsidies into the auto sector here if they are not raising the bar. We put millions upon millions of dollars into the big 3 in order to keep the plants here open - only for them to produce SUV's and highly inefficient vehicles. If the big 3 can't survive in this marketplace because of their own inability to become innovative.. then they shouldn't be around in the first place. I would trade a 65mpg Renault for a Ford any day.

They can throw as much money into programs as they want, but if we don't have the vehicles then what are we to do? It's an easy choice between hybrids and small compacts in Canada because we only have a relative handful!

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