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B.C. Conservatives Win Majority and Promise to End the ZEV Sales Quota: What It Means for Tesla Buyers

Tesla Canada
Front of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, with a green copper dome, stone facade, fountain and lawn at dusk

British Columbia has a new government, and it has promised to scrap the province’s electric vehicle sales quota. CBC News projects that the B.C. Conservatives, led by Lorne Doerkson, won a majority in Saturday’s snap election on October 24, the first Conservative majority in the province since 1928. David Eby resigned as NDP leader in his concession speech.

Elections BC’s preliminary count had the Conservatives leading in 63 of 93 ridings with about 48% of the vote, and the NDP leading in 28. Mail-in and absentee ballots are counted later, with the final count set for November 6.

What the Conservatives promised on EVs

The party’s 2026 platform says it will “End the zero-emission vehicle sales quota and you choose the vehicle that works for your family and work.” It also promises to change TransLink’s law so it can’t put a tax or levy on owning or registering a car.

B.C.’s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act requires automakers to sell a growing share of zero-emission vehicles. In April, the NDP government announced it would cut the 2035 target from 100% to 75%, keep the 26% requirement for 2026 and 2027, and drop the planned 2035 ban on new gas car sales, Drive Tesla reported. The Conservatives haven’t said when or how they would end the quota, and the new cabinet still has to be sworn in.

What it could mean for Tesla buyers

Tesla only sells EVs, so a quota has never limited what it can sell. The rule mainly pushes other automakers to send more EVs to B.C. Ending it could mean fewer electric models from some brands on B.C. lots, but it won’t stop anyone from buying a Tesla.

What about the Tesla rebate ban?

In March 2025, B.C. dropped Tesla chargers, Powerwall batteries and inverters from CleanBC and BC Hydro rebates. “It’s just for Tesla and it’s because of Elon Musk,” Eby said at the time, CBC reported. BC Hydro’s rebate page still lists Tesla products as not eligible. @DriveTeslaca pointed back to those comments after the result, but the Conservative platform doesn’t mention rebates or the Tesla exclusion, so it’s too early to say whether it will change.

And Ontario?

Nothing changes here, since this is a B.C. law. The federal EV Affordability Program still offers up to $5,000 across Canada, and the Berlin-built Model Y RWD is the Tesla that qualifies, as we covered in our EVAP rebate story.

Live in B.C. or thinking about a Tesla there? Tell 17,000+ Ontario Tesla fans in Canada’s most active Tesla community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teslamodelyand3/. You can also join our X community, Tesla Model* [Ontario, Canada], and share your take.

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