Victoria, British Columbia — The Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia (ARA) has announced the launch of EVfriendly, an initiative designed to cultivate a higher degree of confidence in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) ownership in the province.
According to the ARA, this new program helps ensure that only trained and qualified industry professionals are selling, servicing, repairing, and recycling ZEVs, in a responsible and safe manner, and provides consumers with the right information to make informed choices.
“The motivation for developing EVfriendly was to help instill greater confidence for consumers who are likely to transition from driving a conventional, gas-powered vehicle to an all-electric or plug-in hybrid,” said senior project manager, Ken Hendricks, who also serves on the Automotive Recyclers’ of Canada (ARC) board.
“For those drivers who have already made the switch to electric, we want to reassure them that their car will be properly cared for by trained and qualified industry professionals.”
In an October 25, 2021, news release, the provincial government announced updates to its CleanBC climate plan, including nation-leading adoption of ZEVs by 2030, and 100 percent new ZEVs sales by 2035. The original target, set a few years ago, was for all new light-duty passenger vehicle sales to be ZEVs by 2040. Since then, the federal government has mandated ZEV adoption by 2035, so the B.C. target will now align with the federal target.
“With the highest uptake rates of electric vehicles in North America, B.C. is positioned to become a leader in the industry,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
“By ensuring the availability of more qualified professionals in the industry, the EVfriendly program will support this uptake and make it easier for more British Columbians to go electric.”
A business can apply to become an EVfriendly-certified service provider if it satisfies the qualifying criteria, and after its employees have completed the applicable EVfriendly online training (and third-party training for automotive repair technicians).
For more information, visit EVfriendly’s website.
