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GREEN PARTY LEADER DRIVING ELECTRIC PROVINCEWIDE

KEVIN WERNER kwerner@hamilton news.com

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner is letting his campaign team's Hyundai electric vehicles drive the party's environmental commitment.

While the NDP and Progressive Conservative campaigns are driving their leaders across the province in buses, the Tories have named their bus the "Yes Express" and Liberal leader Steven Del Duca is using a Ford van for his travels, Schreiner said he "is trying to set a whole other example."

"This is another way to get around in a way that is affordable and better for people's health," he said in an interview.

Schreiner kicked off his provincial campaign May 4, featuring his team's Hyundai Green Ioniq 5 electric vehicles that will take them across the province. But Schreiner said in an interview that he had been driving an electric vehicle prior to the campaign.

"I've been touring the province fully electric for my leader's tour," said Schreiner. "During the campaign I will have allelectric vehicles."

The Ioniq 5, according to Hyundai, has a range of 488 kilometres using an 800volt battery system.

Schreiner said he had no problem finding an electric vehicle charging station in any part of the province. He even travelled to Sudbury in February with the vehicle, and there was no problem getting a charge. But as people start buying electric vehicles, there will be a demand for additional charging stations.

"We need more highspeed chargers, no doubt about it," he said.

A recent charge at a Petro-Canada station cost Schreiner about $17, while somebody filling up with gas nearby had to pay about $100, said Schreiner.

"The guy said he had to get one of those electric vehicles," he said.

The party's electric vehicle policies are just as futuristic, promising to install high-speed chargers on all 400 series highways and rest stops. As well, it has the most comprehensive electric vehicle program that includes subsidies for electric vehicles and e-bikes to make them affordable for the public. The party has also adopted a zero-emissions vehicle policy, phasing out fossil fuel passenger vehicles by 2030, requiring half of all

spaces in parking lots to have charging stations by 2030 and making the entire government fleet zeroemission by 2025.

"I'm proud we have committed to doing it all electric," said Schreiner.

The Progressive Conservatives, when they came into power in 2018, immediately scrapped the electric vehicle purchase incentive program. But the party's

interest in EV technology was revived early in 2022 when it announced major investments in electric vehicle battery and car design with General Motors, Honda and Stellantis in Windsor with the goal of Ontario becoming an electric vehicle manufacturing hub. The Tories continue to reject reintroducing the electric vehicle rebate program.

The Liberals have promised, if elected, to resurrect the electric vehicle purchase incentive and subsidize electric vehicle charging stations in buildings, parking lots and workplaces.

The NDP is proposing to set aggressive sales targets for electric vehicles, aiming for 45 per cent of all vehicles sold in Ontario in 2030 to be zero emissions. The party is also promising financial incentives for buying non-luxury electric vehicles, $600 grants to purchase at-home charging stations, expanding charging stations provincewide and electrifying the government's own fleet of vehicles.

Zero-emission vehicles in Ontario accounted for about three per cent of all new vehicle registrations, compared to 9.9 per cent in Quebec and 13 per cent in British Columbia — where both have rebate programs in place — according to a 2021 report from IHS Markit.

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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